Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc : Battle Lines
by Zephyr5
Summary: Rated for language and violence, shonen ai SxS, QxZ, Edea x Nida. So far Kylari has concealed her true intentions from the world, but with the endgame approaching, everyone will have to choose their side...
1. Vanishing Spiders

AN: well, two books down, and after a serious plot bashing session with my muses, two books to go :)  Thanks to AnimeGrrl for reviewing Deaths Angel - I'd just like to point out that no, I don't normally post entire stories at once, the exceptions being both History Repeating and Deaths Angel, because they're revised versions of previously posted stories.  Hence also the 'reviews from version 1' sections at the end of some of the chapters.  I do appreciate your review however, and I'm heartened to discover that the 'constructive review' breed of reader is not extinct ;p

Disclaimers: Final Fantasy VIII is not mine, neither is anything directly taken from the game (characters, locations etc.) - the history, mechanics of temporal physics, mechanics of sorcerous powers and other original stuff is mine however, so no takee without askee k?  Oh, and this is the only disclaimer you'll see - treasure it and take it to heart, questions won't be asked, but quarter won't be given style o' thing 

Warnings: It's rated R - Restricted.  It's rated R - for a Reason.  If you haven't read the summary and the reasons for the rating contained therein, I highly doubt you're reading this... (Seifer: so why are you talking to them?) ignores muse  If you have, well, there's nothing to add.  You knew the risks when you signed up.  (Squall: hits forehead with hand she's lost it.)

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc Battle Lines Chapter One Vanishing Spiders**

It was anything but standard practice to summon a GF on yourself, and it was strictly forbidden during combat training.  So to see the X-ATV61Ues fade from the world was somewhat disconcerting.  Even more disconcerting was the way Shiva herself paused before attacking - only doing so when Squall nodded, indicating that the summon to attack them was deliberate.

Zell wondered if it was simply because Squall was a sorcerer, or if a GF had the freedom to choose whether it ultimately attacked or not.  It was a scary thought - that a GF with low compatibility might not only take forever to appear, but might then also refuse to act.  His thoughts scattered as the creeping tendrils of ice wound up his legs, chilling and immobilising him.  Fear followed with a rush, and he tried to turn to look at Quistis - but the ice was already cradling his head.

At the last moment he closed his eyes, remembering his ice-survival lessons from his early days as a cadet.  One unfortunate hadn't closed their eyes in time, and the result...  Zell flinched, both at the memory and in pain as his icy prison shattered around him.  A quick glance at the others showed him their situation was dire.  Quistis was on the floor - alive but unconscious.  Seifer looked like grim determination was all that was keeping him upright as his opponent faded back into view.  Squall was actually looking marginally better than before Shiva had attacked, which still left him looking worse than Seifer...

Stumbling over to Quistis' side, Zell fumbled a phoenix down from his pocket - glad he'd thought to ask Squall for that and a couple of potions as they made their way out of the tower.  The sparkle of light as he tipped the liquid magic over his wife's still form galvanised the Blue Widows into action.  No longer aiming to kill, they instead attempted to sweep aside their opponents.  Seifer somehow, incredibly, managed to block the blow of one, but Squall was just too drained.  The energy he'd used restoring Zell to life had left him with no reserves to tap, and though he tried - bringing Lionheart up in time to take the brunt of the blow - the machine simply shoved its way past.

Quistis was stirring, but there was no way she would be able to cast Degenerator before the machine got to her.  Eyes flashing in anger and determination, Zell braced himself to halt the Blue Widow's charge with himself.  It would most likely kill him, but the few seconds delay would be just enough for Quistis to complete the spell she was already muttering behind him...

The Blue Widow drew closer, folding its first set of legs to make a battering ram.  If anything its speed increased as it went from eight to six-legged movement.  Suddenly there was a blur of dark motion, and a figure slammed into the X-ATV61UE's side, just as it took a step.  The machine wavered, legs doing a mad jig as it attempted to re-coordinate its movement.   Quistis' voice rose to a triumphant shout as she finished and cast the spell...

But the Blue Widows had both vanished - almost as if they'd never been there in the first place.

"Teleportation."  Came the disgusted snort from Seifer.  Zell looked around.  The blur that had knocked the X-ATV61UE off stride could only have been Squall, but where was he now, and why - and how - had he done it, when he had been so obviously on the verge of collapse moments before?

"Because I didn't bring you back to the world of the living just for you to throw your life away."  Zell jumped as Squall's voice answered his unspoken question.  He turned, finding the brunette behind him.

Squall was still standing - barely.  It looked like he'd managed to take a potion at some point, but the way his outline blurred suggested that he'd also cast Haste on himself.  Lionheart was sheathed, and he'd slammed shoulder-first into the Blue Widow if the way his right arm dangled was any indication.

"Squall!"  Seifer's shout came just as Zell saw Squall's eyes roll back, and the brunette crumpled bonelessly to the floor.  Seifer was there in seconds, anxiously feeling for a pulse before casting some sort of Scan spell.  He seemed satisfied with whatever he found - satisfied enough to glare at Zell.

"Is he alright?"  It was Quistis' weak voice that broke the silence.  Seifer glanced across at her, quickly assessing her own condition.

"He will be."  He admitted, almost grudgingly.  "He used too much energy getting Zell back..."  The blond cut off sharply, as if having said too much.  He was right.

"Getting Zell back..."  Quistis repeated.  Zell frowned as well - he'd thought Squall was being unusually poetic talking about the world of the living, but with what Seifer had let slip...  "What do you mean?"  Quistis asked, also frowning.  Seifer sighed, and scooped Squall into his arms.  The brunette tensed for a moment, then seemed to recognise who was holding him, relaxing into the safety of his knight's embrace.

"I'll explain on the Ragnarok."

With the Ragnarok safely on its way back to Garden under the capable hands of its SeeD pilot, Quistis and Zell finally cornered Seifer in the Infirmary, watching over the unconscious Squall.

"You said he'd be ok..."  Zell's words were part question, part statement.  Seifer nodded.

"Yeah.  His body knows when to quit - unlike him."  The blond frowned at his sorcerer.  "Damn fool hero."  He added affectionately.

"So.  An explanation is in order."  Quistis reminded him.  Seifer flashed her his most charming grin, ignoring Zell's proprietary glare.  "The truth, Seifer Almasy.  Squall's in no state to stop me kicking your ass until you do."  Seifer's face fell.

"Instructor," he moaned, holding his hand to his heart.  "I'm wounded.  Would I tell a lie?"  Zell snorted his opinion of that sentiment.  Finally Seifer sighed.  "Zell was dead."  Quistis frowned.  "Not dead as in 'his heart just stopped a minute ago' dead.  Dead, dead.  As in 'dear departed soul' dead.  No sorceress could've saved him."

"I am here."  Zell muttered half-heartedly.  Seifer glared at him.

"Squall had to drag your soul back to the world of the living from the world of the dead."  He clarified.  "You'd passed over Chickenwuss."  Zell blanched, but Quistis just looked thoughtful.

"Why couldn't a sorceress have saved him - She tortured us both to the point of death, and then brought us back to do it again."

"To the point of death."  Seifer emphasised.  "And her name is Kylari."  He added.  "Sorcerers have a connection with the dead, and so..."  He suddenly trailed off, blanching as he stared at the door of the infirmary - behind Quistis and Zell.  They turned, but there was nothing there that they could see.  Swapping a glance, the two sat down, Quistis leaning towards the stricken blond knight.

"Seifer?  What's wrong?"

"Sweet Hyne..."  He whimpered in response, finally looking at them both.  They were shocked to see tears in his eyes.  "You don't know yet..."  He sank back in his chair, staring bleakly at them.

"Know what?"  Zell asked, frowning.  Seifer swallowed and took a deep breath, letting it out shakily.

"Kylari destroyed Trabia Garden two days ago.  Selphie and Irvine are among the dead."

Quistis and Zell were still in shock when they reached Balamb Garden.  They followed Seifer automatically as he took Squall to the Infirmary, barely noticing the anxious stares of the students.  Likewise they went through Dr Kadowaki's checkup on automatic, answering her questions with yes, no or a shrug.  The doctor was sympathetic, but quietly warned Seifer that they needed something to focus on other than what had happened in their absence.  Seifer agreed, but was at a loss to think of anything other than their normal duties.  That and the fact that they had yet to learn of the destruction of Deling and Esthar, and Martine's abduction and death.

The blond hadn't really let himself stop to think about any of it yet.  He knew that if he did, he'd most likely end up in a similar state as Quistis and Zell.  That wasn't an option.  Especially now that Squall was temporarily incapacitated.  Garden could run itself quite well without senior staff - as long as nothing out of the ordinary occurred - but to do so whilst on a war footing was untenable.  The students in particular needed the reassurance that someone knew what was going on, and knew what actions to take in an emergency.

And now he was in command.  Seifer Almasy, finally at the top of the command chain - and he realised this was never what he'd wanted.  Squall had been right all along.  It was all very well wanting the bright lights and the adulation of the masses, but after the parades were over, it was all thankless hard work.  Paperwork at that.

Sure, he'd done his turn signing requisition forms and marking student work.  Hell, he'd even taught a few classes, and supervised field training in Trabia.  But it was nothing compared to what Squall had to deal with on an average day.  Requests for SeeD assistance had to be assessed, a process that involved calculating the expected overheads for a mission, the risks involved for mission personnel and even the political impact - and that was just to decide whether the application made it into the 'consideration' pile.  Then, for each one, Squall had to consider what skills teams would need, the number of members in the team - or teams - and whether suitable personnel were available in SeeD, and which Garden.  If that assessment was favourable, then negotiations for the contract began - a process that could take anything up to a month.

On top of that Squall had to deal with calls from groups whose requests for assistance was turned down, organise Garden security and emergency drill procedures, review SeeD training procedures, double-check any requisition or other forms posted for his notice, induct new students into Garden, deal with parents of students, and deal with all the political side of Garden and SeeD operations.

No - Seifer didn't envy him at all.

Mind you, there were advantages to being the hero of the war against Ultemecia.  Many politicians had dismissed the brunette - both because of his age, and because they assumed it had been pure brawn that had brought down the sorceress.  They'd learned too late that Squall, much as he hated politics, was a born politician.  With a poker face that had yet to meet its equal, a reputation such that accusations lasted as long as a snowball in the Fire Caverns, an ability to crush political manoeuvres that would impact SeeD before they could start, and not the slightest reservation about gathering and using blackmail material, the brunette was a force unto himself.  Neither could he be accused of favouring Galbadian or Estharian leanings, since he as frequently dropped spanners into their political works as he did anyone else's.

A point in case would be when Edea arrived in Balamb Garden the day after next.  Whether Squall would try reason, would simply refuse to support her, or would concede some measure of support, Seifer didn't know.  He did know, however, that it would be a battle royal between two of the strongest-willed people he knew.

AN: Whee - chapter one done!  I was gonna add something here, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was ;;

Squall: I said she'd lost it.

Zephyr5: Shut up you.  Born politician you may be snorts but you can't blackmail the author.

Seifer (in background): sniggers ...singing 'give me a cucumber, be happy'...

Zephyr5: blushes Seifer shut up!

Seifer: Huh?  What?

Read and review - please!


	2. Desperate Measures

AN: Anyone worried about the whole 'cucumber' comment - don't be.  It's a literally translated part of an old Eurovision entry - honest to God.  I was at my friend's house at the time, and everyone was in stitches over it.

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc Battle Lines Chapter Two Desperate Measures**

In retrospect, Seifer realised, he should have expected Quistis and Zell to recover as fast as they did.  After all, they'd both been SeeDs for longer than him, and they'd both lost friends during the battle of the Balamb and Galbadia Gardens.  If at times they both paused, lost in memories, then that was only to be expected - and only their right.  Everyone else had, whether for better or worse, had a few days to assimilate the destruction of Trabia Garden before the double shock of Deling and Esthar.

The news of the attacks on the two cities had been accepted much more easily.  They'd seen the X-ATV61Ues and Kylari first hand.  They knew the destruction that could be wrought.  As two of only three that knew of Squall being a sorcerer - not counting the brunette himself - Seifer had also been able to explain Rinoa's comment.  Fortunately they seemed to accept that Squall, of all people, would only have taken such drastic measures if he was completely certain that no one remained alive.  As for Esthar, they were satisfied once they learned that the city had gotten off much lighter in terms of damage, and that Laguna, Kiros and Ward were safe and well.

Martine's loss, however, had also hit Quistis quite hard.  She'd worked with him on a couple of missions before he'd become headmaster of Galbadia, and had remained in touch with him after that.  But really, after the news of Irvine and Selphie, everything else was small fry.  Seifer hadn't been able to bring himself to reveal that the two were safe and well - albeit dead - and occasionally in contact with him.  It would've meant revealing his new-found ability to hear and talk with the dead, something he hadn't even admitted to Squall yet.  He wasn't sure what the brunette would do.  One thing he had learned from the last garbled memories that had been shared between them, was that paranoia was almost a genetic feature of the sorcerer powers - or at least had become so ever since the last lines had gone into hiding.

Squall was still unconscious when Seifer checked up on him just before heading to get some breakfast, but Dr Kadowaki didn't seem overly worried.  She'd been quite happy to agree that all the brunette needed was rest - and a good meal when he woke up - but less enthusiastic about not treating his arm.  Fortunately she'd conceded that, having a better idea of the seriousness of the injury, Seifer was probably in a better position to judge.

The blond nodded politely to the older woman as he entered the infirmary for the second time that morning.  He paused in the doorway of Squall's room, noticing that the brunette looked healthier, even from that distance.  Smiling slightly, Seifer stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Edea's due in tomorrow."  He almost thought a wince flickered across Squall's face, but a quick brush against the sorcerer's mind revealed that the brunette was asleep - and not faking it.  Seifer sighed, and sat down on the chair by the bed, his own mind in turmoil at the thought of seeing Edea in the flesh now that he knew Cid was dead.  "Guess your body's as stubborn about things as you are."  He snorted softly, amused by the thought.

Quit thinking so loud.  Tired...  The soft complaint was accompanied by a mental yawn that had the blond yawning in sympathetic reaction.  And hungry...  Squall added, his stomach growling slightly in agreement.  Seifer rolled his eyes.

"If you think I'm smuggling food in under the watchful glare of Dr K..."  He folded his arms, hoping that Squall would decide to wake up properly and hence become available to deal with the mountain of paperwork currently covering both their desks.

Get Quis and Zell on it.  And I smuggled food in for you.  That scotched one hope - but it did get him out of doing the paperwork.  Seifer frowned.  He'd never gotten Squall to...but he had.  He remembered, right back in Squall's first year as a cadet...

FLASHBACK START

It was a gorgeous summer day, and, best of all, it was a holiday.  No classes to attend, no work that needed immediate attention, nothing to do at all.  Nothing, that was, except laze around and enjoy the sun, and the company of his two best friends - Quistis and Squall.  It had been almost a year since the two blonds had seen the brunette, having been sent to Garden a year earlier than he due to their age differences.  He hadn't changed much.  Maybe a bit taller, a bit paler, and with a stronger air of melancholy around him than Seifer remembered, but they were all taller, all changing as they rapidly approached the dreaded 'P' - Puberty.

They'd gone down to the town earlier, showing Squall the sights and the shops.  Not that there was much.  The biggest draw was Zell's ma's.  She welcomed them all as friends of Zell, proceeding to tell them everything he'd been doing since he'd been adopted by them - much to the younger blond's embarrassment.  They'd left a red-faced Zell eagerly anticipating dinner, and had grabbed ice-creams from the local shop, eating them as they made their way back to the Garden.  Even Squall had indulged, beating Seifer three games out of three at Triple Triad, and claiming the ice-cream as his prize.  Seifer had been relieved rather than angry at the brunette's decision.  He'd been afraid Squall would, quite rightfully, claim the one rare card in his pack - the Cerberus card.  Quistis had been urging him to do so, Seifer was sure he'd felt her gesturing behind his back.  But the brunette hadn't - probably wise enough to know that the blonde only wanted him to take the card so that she could win it off him later.

Quistis had returned to the dorms as evening started to draw closer, but with curfew relaxed because of the holiday, Seifer had dared Squall into an 'excursion'.  Seifer's excursions were already famous - or infamous - throughout the Garden staff, but so far they'd been small stuff - raiding the canteen, the library, attempting to climb the outside route to the third floor, changing codes on staff dorms.  Now, with the relaxation of curfew, even if only for one night, he was in the perfect position for a proper excursion.

Thus it was that the rising moon - full and bright - found them a fair way up the Gaulg Mountains, and notably lacking tents or any other survival gear.  It wasn't so much of a problem whilst they were moving, but when exhaustion set in and they decided to stop for the night, they found the temperature dropping rapidly.  It didn't help that the weather was starting to change for the worse, and wind chill soon had them huddled together as they walked.

Whether it was as they attempted to walk side by side on the narrow track, or whether it was the wind or simply an unlucky placement of his foot, neither Seifer nor Squall knew, but suddenly Seifer was falling.  Squall instinctively lunged after the blond, only managing to throw himself down the slope after his friend.

When they came to rest it was in a flat clearing, surrounded by piles of boulders, that neither boy had seen before.  Admittedly, their knowledge of the mountains in practice was limited, but they'd both poured over detailed 3D maps as part of their geography lessons.  Seifer was aware of Squall lying on top of him.  It was uncomfortable, but warm, and so he let the brunette stay put whilst he re-gathered his wits.  Or at least, that was why the blond told himself he was doing it.  Slowly, however, Seifer became aware that something was wrong with his leg.  The cold and shock had numbed it at first, but gradually, as Squall's shared warmth seeped through his body, feeling was returning.  And the feeling was not good.  It felt broken...

FLASHBACK END

And it had been broken.  Seifer had almost panicked then, and it had taken Squall slapping him around the face to bring the blond back to sanity.  Squall, despite being a year younger, had taken over from that point.  He'd stopped the bleeding by forcing the older boy to drink a potion the brunette found in his jacket pocket.  And then he'd stripped off his jacket to add to Seifer's warmth, and carefully created a windbreak with some of the smaller boulders.  His logic had won out against Seifer's arguments, and the brunette had stubbornly set out into the teeth of what had become a fierce gale.  Seifer had been sure the brunette was going to his death...

Will you stop reminiscing already.  Squall sounded irritated.  I'm hungry.  Seifer sighed and stood.

It'll only be some fruit.  Don't expect a plate of chips or anything.  Squall didn't dignify the statement with a response - other than a second mental yawn.  Shaking his head, Seifer left the room, closing the door behind him as he left.

As it was, Seifer saw Quistis and Zell in the cafeteria, and managed to kill two birds with one stone by assigning them to the paperwork even as he purchased Squall's soon-to-be-smuggled breakfast.  Unfortunately they both wanted an update on Squall's progress, which meant he had to spend over ten minutes convincing them that when he said Squall was fine, he meant Squall was fine.

To add insult to injury, Dr Kadowaki wasn't even present when he returned, so it wouldn't have mattered even if he had brought a plate of chips - or something.  To add further insult, Squall wasn't even there.  Seifer settled for glaring at the empty bed.  He'd always suspected that Squall was possessed of a cruel and unusual sense of humour, and as he stood glaring at the empty bed, a piece of fruit in each hand, feeling a complete idiot, that suspicion was confirmed.

"The Commander checked himself out a couple of minutes ago."  Dr Kadowaki struggled to maintain a straight face as Seifer whirled, and then belatedly attempted to hide an apple and an orange behind his back.  She raised an eyebrow at his somewhat sickly grin.  "I don't mind people bringing fruit."  The doctor pointed out, watching as Seifer's expression slid through a range of emotions.  Whatever anyone else said, she thought the Ultemecia incident had matured him.  That, and perhaps his most recent defeat at Squall's hands had finally knocked some sense into his head.  Whichever it was, the brunette seemed to have the former knight shaping up nicely.

Once Seifer paused and thought to feel where Squall was, he realised that the brunette's stomach, apparently empty enough to drag him out of the healing sleep, would have undoubtedly led him in the direction of the cafeteria.  Sure enough, the brunette was ensconced in a corner, with Quistis and Zell watching in amazement as the brunette consumed more food than anyone usually saw him eat in an entire year.  Seifer grimaced.  Losing life-force was a bitch, but fortunately for sorcerers, not permanent.  A few meals of the same size as the one he was half-way through, and Squall would be as strong as ever.

"Stop smirking."  Seifer grumbled, sitting opposite Squall and taking a bite of the apple he'd carried from the cafeteria to the infirmary, and back.  His comment, far from causing the smirking Squall to adopt his normal bland expression, caused the smirk to deepen.  Seifer glared.  Any second now Quistis or Zell would ask...

"What happened?"  It was Zell who asked.

"I think Squall got one over on Seifer."  And Quistis who answered.  Despite the GFs interference with memory, she still knew them both far too well.  Zell chuckled, more than happy to hear that his one-time nemesis had gotten a taste of his own medicine.  Fortunately the blond didn't press for details.

So why are you up?  Can't have been that hungry surely?  Seifer asked, finishing off the apple and starting to peel the orange.

Edea's going to arrive in a couple of hours.  She'd walk all over anyone else.  Seifer froze, halfway through peeling the orange, and looked up sharply at Squall.  The brunette was still eating as though nothing else existed except him and the food, and he was on a mission to eat it all.  Quistis and Zell noticed Seifer's sudden pause, and their eyes flicked from him to Squall and back.  They seemed to have some idea of what was going on though, and quickly returned to their own conversation.

She's not supposed to get here until tomorrow.  Seifer growled, frowning in concentration as he peeled away a particularly stubborn piece of pith.

No.  But she hopes to catch us by surprise.  I don't think she is aware yet that Rinoa is following her.  This time Seifer managed to disguise his falter as a pause to appreciate the first segment of hard-peeled orange.

I wish we knew more about this Kylari - and what she wants.  Squall, having finally finished the plate of food, looked up and smiled slightly.

And that's the knowledge that Edea hopes to bargain with.

She wasn't expecting the SeeD escort that met her at the harbour.  No one should have known of her arrival in Balamb until she had actually arrived at the Garden, but somehow they had.  Either Squall had anticipated her making a move such as this, or she had underestimated the SeeD intelligence network.  She could afford to rule out neither possibility.  Fortunately Edea could afford to lose the element of surprise, although she was now certain that she would be up against Squall - someone even Adel's fading consciousness had failed to manipulate.  Cid had chosen almost too well to make the boy Commander of Garden.

Her welcome into the Garden itself was civil, but subdued.  An aura of melancholy still lingered over most, but it was slowly being buried by determination, and a desire for revenge.  Squall had matters close to home, at least, firmly under control.  But it was a tenuous control, she decided, seeing some groups of students watching her with a dangerous gleam in their eyes.  She could feel the mood of the Garden changing as news of her arrival spread.  Changing from an outwardly focussed threat, to a very focussed sense of determination to protect their home...from her.

Edea was suddenly very aware of the fact that the SeeDs in her escort were all veterans of the war against Ultemecia.  Squall, it seemed, had provided an escort both capable of neutralising threats to her, and of neutralising her should she become a threat.  She hid the shiver of uncertainty that crawled down her spine.  Squall Leonhart was no longer the child she had known at the orphanage, and no longer the uncertain teenager she had met during the war against Ultemecia.  He had matured, grown into the power and responsibilities that came with the position of Commander - and he was dangerous.

Edea was shown into the once-familiar waiting room on the third floor, where her escort left her.  It seemed colder than she remembered, emptier somehow, and yet, she didn't think anything had changed.  Except that it was no longer her beloved Cid who held sway in the office beyond.

The door opened as that melancholy thought threatened to consume her, revealing Quistis, resplendent in her SeeD dress uniform.

"Matron."  She greeted the sorceress, smiling and bowing slightly in welcome.  "Please, join us."  Edea rose slowly, and walked to the door with measured steps.  With each one she wondered whether she would leave the room in the same decorous way.

Cid's...no, Squall's office, was much as she remembered it - with the exception of the elevated platform that was the Garden's helm when mobile.  There was no one up there now, but she could hear the wind sighing mournfully around the structure.  Clearly Squall had put the Garden on alert, ready to move at a moments notice. 

She looked at the other people in the room.  Squall was there, of course, and Seifer, whose inclusion surprised her slightly.  When she thought about it, however, it made sense.  Seifer and Squall were Garden's two best fighters, and Seifer had proven his command abilities during the war against Ultemecia.  Thanks to his role then, it was unlikely that he would ever have command of his own Garden, but under Squall's watchful eye he'd apparently been accepted with a minimum of fuss. 

Quistis and Zell...  Edea suppressed a wry smile.  The two had only been married for under a month, and the glow of love between them was still strong.  She wondered vaguely if Squall had included them for that very reason, and then reminded herself that he had no way of knowing how emotions appeared to a sorceress's senses - particularly strong emotion.  That was another advantage he had unwittingly given her by including so many others.  Even if Squall and Seifer were able to shield their emotions from her, Quistis and Zell were a completely different story.

"Please, sit Edea.  This isn't an interrogation."  Squall's words snapped her out of her contemplative trance.  He'd moved around the desk to sit at the far end from Seifer.  Edea sat, choosing a seat slightly closer to Squall than Seifer.  The blond frowned down the table at the brunette, and Edea suppressed her own smirk.  That they sat at opposite ends of the table could have meant they were working together, making it so that she could only face one at a time, but she thought that frown indicated lingering tensions between the two.  Quistis and Zell sat next to each other, hands discretely linked beneath the table.  They sat on the opposite side to Edea, but like her, slightly closer to Squall.  Seifer sneered, and was completely ignored by both.

"You know why I'm here."  Edea faced towards Quistis and Zell, but her words were aimed at Squall.  The brunette moved his head slightly in a gesture of 'maybe'.

"I could hope that you'd tell us what you know of Kylari without seeking payment of some form.  But I know you better."  And it seemed he did, Edea realised.  Neither Quistis nor Zell was expressing surprise, so they'd clearly been briefed on her intensions beforehand.  "And you'll forgive me if I say that Cid's death will not gain you any sympathy."  Edea blinked and did a rapid double-take of the emotional situation.  Quistis and Zell had suddenly gone still, and were both showing shock and surprise as well as a hint of resignation and grief.  Seifer, surprisingly, had slipped enough to be showing faint embarrassment and worry, whilst Squall, unsurprisingly, showed nothing.

"Well."  She breathed after a moment to collect her scattered thoughts, and plans.  "It seems that my cards are on the table.  Perhaps you'd like to tell everyone what 'payment' I want."  There was a long pause.  Edea turned to look directly at Squall, finding the brunette with the faintest of smiles on his face.

"You want us to help you convince Ellone to go along with some crazy, half-assed, half-baked 'plan' of Adel's.  That plan being to slaughter the remaining sorceresses, including yourself, so that Ellone has all their powers."  It was Seifer, at the opposite end of the table, who spoke.  Silence fell...

Squall stared at the back of Edea's head as though it held all the answers he needed.  In a way, it did.  But without revealing himself there and then, he had no way to access those answers without first agreeing to pay the piper.  The question was, what price?

Ellone was not a sorceress, although she'd somehow been gifted with the ability to look both backwards and forwards in time, and to move the minds of others through time in the same way.  It made her extremely dangerous to the world, and extremely valuable to any sorceresses of a mind to try and make themselves invincible by knowing the future.  Fortunately, because her powers weren't the powers of a sorceress, if she died, the powers would die with her.  Unfortunately, because she was the last living female of the last sorcerer line, if she died, then when Squall died...  Hyne alone knew what would happen.  His powers might return to wherever they'd come from, or they might explode out of control and wreak untold damage.  And if Kylari killed everyone on the planet, and then killed him...

So what did he do?  Support Edea's crazy plan and then discover that he'd played right into Kylari's hands.  Or refuse to support Edea's crazy plan and remain in the dark about Kylari's motives.  Which was the lesser evil?  Was there a lesser evil in this situation?

Quistis swung her head sharply to stare at Squall as the brunette closed his eyes.  He had to be conversing with one of the GFs - or faking that he was.  She and Zell were playing this all by ear, although some things Squall had warned them about - such as Edea's plans and her new-found attitude.  Others he hadn't warned them about, and neither had Seifer.  Cid's death though, was still somehow abstracted from reality in her thoughts.  That was probably aided by the lack of detail.

"Why is Rinoa Heartilly following you, Sorceress Kramer?"  Squall's voice and expression had sharpened, hardened.  The words weren't even addressed to her, and Quistis still found herself swallowing at the dangerous edge to the brunette's tone.  At the other end of the table, Seifer had frozen, tense and wary, waiting for the situation to resolve itself as an occasion for fighting, fleeing, or doing nothing.

Edea's head whipped around, leaving the dangling ornaments of her headdress swaying violently.  Her eyes had widened in shock.

"What...?  How do you...?"  Squall's glare intensified as he began to frown.

"We have GFs keeping watch.  That and, whatever she is now, she's still lousy at stealth.  Now answer the question."  Seifer's cold words were accompanied by a glare that was anything but cold.

"I don't know."  Edea managed to answer defiantly, although Zell caught a faint tremor in her words.  He didn't blame her.  He was - or so he hoped - not caught between two extremely dangerous fighters who had just decided he might be a threat.  His own heart was racing, and he could feel Quistis' pulse also doing overtime where their hands were entwined.  He could only imagine what Edea's heart was doing.  "I wasn't aware that I was being followed."  The excuses sounded lame, contrived out of desperation on the spur of the moment.  It didn't matter that they were probably true, they sounded false.

"And why come here in person?"  That was Quistis getting in on the act - unprompted, unless you counted the discussion they'd had before Edea's arrival.  "This conversation could easily have been carried out over a secure line."  But Edea would have been at a disadvantage in a video conference, unable to see the emotional auras of those she was talking to.  Not that it was helping much at the moment.

"Adel tried to warn me."  Edea admitted ruefully, admitting defeat to Squall as she did so.  Everyone relaxed marginally, although they remained wary.  "Kylari's origins are...complex.  What do you know of the nature of time, and time magic?"

"If an alteration in the past is made, it cascades into the future, hence the danger of killing an ancestor and creating a paradox where you don't exist, but if you didn't exist you wouldn't have killed your ancestor and so you would exist..."  Zell trailed off, looking slightly glassy-eyed.  Quistis patted his hand reassuringly.

"Yes.  To an extent.  What about you Quistis?"  The blonde shrugged.

"Time is circular.  Eventually everything ends and begins again.  History repeats itself."  Aside from the circular nature of a paradox, Quistis' view seemed to contradict Zell's.  Edea only nodded.

"And you, Seifer?"  The blond frowned in thought for a moment.

"Whatever whoever's right said."  Edea chuckled slightly.

"A good answer.  Squall?"  The brunette contemplated her for a moment.

"Time is the fourth dimension.  It exists in the other three, and so you can move in time.  In changing the past you simply move sideways through time, creating a parallel universe.  Everything happens somewhere, but some things happen everywhere - such as Ultemecia, time compression, and her defeat."  Even Edea stared at him in surprise.  Squall took her sudden reappraisal of him in his stride.  He shrugged.  "I never told Adel all my suspicions."

And Adel had never even known, Edea thought, still slightly stunned.  Oh, it was possible to figure out the bit with time being another dimension, and the existence of parallel universes, simply through the application of common sense and a few questions in the right places.  But to realise that there were key events that pinned all those parallel universes together, and to recognise not only one but three... 

"Well, in a sense you're all right.  Time is the fourth dimension, parallel universes and key events exist, but time is also circular, and alterations in the past do filter through to the...a future."  She took a deep breath.  If they thought that was hard to understand...  "When you defeated Ultemecia it was in time compression - you have, are, and will defeat her at every possible moment for at least seventy years before and after the point in time when she actually existed.  She no longer exists in this universe..."

"Hold on - I thought we were discussing Kylari's motives here, not Ultemecia's defeat?"  Zell nodded agreement to Seifer's question before he could stop himself.

"But Ultemecia and time compression are inextricably linked with Kylari and her motives."  Edea responded, hurriedly trying to assemble her thoughts in the brief pause.  "You see, some fifty or so years ago, there was a sorceress called Adel, and she was dying..."

FLASHBACK START

Adel, beloved ruler of Esthar, was dying.  Everyone knew it, and almost everyone was sorrowful.  For the most part they appreciated their luck in having such a ruler, she was harsh, but just, and she had protected them from the outside world for almost forty years.  But now she was dying, slowly, and the search for a successor had begun.  It was not, however, going well, and the people feared for their leader.

They feared with justification, for no suitable successor was found, and Adel would not relinquish either her country or her powers to someone she felt was unsuitable.

But if the search for a suitable candidate was barely progressing at all, the search for a rogue sorceress out towards Centra was having much more...not luck, not fortune, but they were getting closer.  A second village had been annihilated, and Edea, her knight and a squad of militia had reported that they were following a clear trail from the ashes that remained.

FLASHBACK END

"We cornered Askylarian on one of the Centra peninsulas - near one of the gates to Ultemecia's castle, although we didn't know that then.  She was insane...incurably so."

"So you killed her."  Seifer voiced the thought that entered everyone's minds.  Edea nodded.

"At the time we had no other options for dealing with sorceresses who posed a threat.  Adel might have been able to do something, but she was occupied with her search for a successor."

"Wait a minute."  Quistis was frowning.  "Isn't there a bit of time difference here?  I mean, Adel can't have been searching for Ellone fifty years ago.  Ellone wasn't even born then."  Edea smiled gently.

"I never said Adel was searching for Ellone.  Adel failed to find a successor she felt capable of ruling in her stead, so she had Odine's predecessor concoct some sort of drug to slow the disease eating away at her.  Unfortunately it had some side effects, changing her appearance, and also affecting her judgement.  She became paranoid, and I left for Centra, where she would not feel that I was a threat.  That was why she put everything into finding Ellone later, and also why the people supported Laguna's sealing of Adel when he made it clear he would not allow Ellone to become a sorceress."

"Alright.  So you killed this Askylarian, but what does that have to do with Kylari?"  Zell prompted.  Edea sighed.  She was reasonably certain that Squall, if not Seifer, had realised where she was going, and the connection between Askylarian and Kylari, and it was those two whom she sought to convince of her intentions.

"We thought, Adel and I, that Askylarian was dead, her powers safely passed to another girl, Amara.  But now I believe that Askylarian's consciousness escaped through some fragment of time compression into the future."

"Oh!  So we're really fighting Askylarian - she's just calling herself Kylari now, huh?"  Zell leapt in.

"Shut up Chickenwuss."  Seifer growled.  "I think there's more to it than that."  Edea nodded.

"Askylarian's consciousness has been passed along with the powers to each successive inheritor.  Normally that wouldn't be a problem.  Some fragments of the previous sorceress' consciousness pass along in the normal course of events, but fade away over time.  Askylarian's consciousness, however, has not.  What's more, it's been passed from host to host, probably accumulating more personalities as it's gone."

"And Ultemecia is one of them."  Edea nodded at Squall's statement.

"Yes.  It was undoubtedly the same powers that Ultemecia was using."

"But we defeated Ultemecia..."  Zell's forehead creased in a frown as he tried to get his mind around everything.

"Since Kylari is still very much active, I think it can be assumed she escaped through time compression again.  And presumably to some point before time compression, otherwise she would be caught within that loop."

Squall listened as Edea carefully explained to Zell how time compression had become a sealed loop in time, and that, whilst everyone remembered it, in theory it hadn't even happened in their timeline.  A sideways slip through time...  And a sorceress who'd bound herself to her powers, and who happened to hold a grudge against a good number of people who were now dead.  No wonder Kylari was desperate to get hold of the last sorcerer's powers.  She had a score to settle, and the only way she could settle it was to make the dead live once more - just so she could kill them, over and over again, as she had been 'killed' over and over again.  And that was just Kylari's grudge.  The influence and motives of the personalities she'd collected over time were likely to remain a mystery until the end.

But none of that helped him in his decision.

It was certain that Kylari would be seeking to destroy or capture any relations he might have, just as the Kenthra and Centra would be seeking to destroy anyone with possible links to the last sorcerer.  Whether they knew who that was, or whether Kylari had yet to tell them, he didn't know.  Just as he didn't know whether Kylari knew that Ellone was his half sister.  Because there was a horrible and distinct possibility that, should she learn of how the sorcerer powers were passed on, and that Ellone was the last female of the line, Kylari would decide to breed her own sorcerers.  That way she could use their ability to bring the dead back to the land of the living with relative impunity.  She wouldn't have to worry about them using up their own life-force and dying, because she could just breed another one.

No.  He would not let his half-sister face that fate.  Better that she were dead, better that the world be destroyed, than that happen.  Because he would have failed his duty to prevent the barrier between the worlds of the dead and living from being broken with impunity. 

Either way she would become a clear target for Kylari, whether as his half-sister up in the hard, but not impossible, to reach space station, or as a powerful sorceress on the planet.

He made his decision.

AN: uber long chapter, gomen minna o.O  hehehe, so, what has Squall decided?  And yes, before people beat me up over being nasty to Edea, I do feel sorry for her.  Anyone who's read Katherine Kerr's 'Deverry' series of books will notice the similarity between Edea's situation and the Old One's situation.  They're both missing that single vital piece of information that'll make everything fall into place...


	3. Moonshine Addict

AN: 'insert witty comment here'

Seifer: 'abandon hope all ye who enter here'

Squall: '...'

Additional Warning: Allegations of incest - nothing graphic

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc Battle Lines Chapter Three Moonshine Addict**

Edea returned to Esthar with Squall's decision simultaneously filling her with courage, and concern.  She'd thought for a while that she'd managed to retain something to bargain with in the future - the knowledge of Kylari's probable goals.  But then she'd considered the facts, and realised that Squall had simply allowed her to retain her dignity by not forcing her to say the words out loud.  Kylari wanted revenge on the already dead.

There was, of course, the fact that Squall and the rest of SeeD had no way of knowing exactly how that could, and most likely would be achieved.  It had been so long since the great pogrom against the sorcerers that only a few sorceresses still placed any credence in the tales of sorcerers even existing.  But it suited her for SeeD not to know.  If they knew, they would try at all costs to protect any sorcerers they found - if any still were to be found.  Personally she thought they'd probably died out centuries ago, but if Kylari was convinced otherwise...

The space station 4NX - or 'Phoenix' as she'd been dubbed early in construction - was nothing more than a speck of darkness against the moon's light from the planet.  Still, to reach that speck of darkness was the prize that, every day, a handful of 'space cadets' laboured for.  Most were inspired by the tales of others who'd been up there, 'space veterans' who wore their distinctively mottled 'moonskin' with pride.  No one was quite sure why the closer proximity to the moon's reflected light caused such discolouration, although the scientists had decided it probably had something to do with magic, and the nature of the monsters upon the moon's surface.  Whatever the cause, it was a matter of honour to have moonskin, and a stigma to return from the Phoenix without it - no matter the reason for the expedient return.

Of all the people on the Phoenix, however, there was one who had never gained the moonskin, and probably never would.  She was the reason that the scientists suspected magic was involved, for, as a sorceress, she undoubtedly had near-perfect magic defences.

Ellone sighed and turned away from the console to study the nearby moon.  Night had yet to fall on the planet below, and so the moonscape was shrouded in darkness.  In a way she was glad.  The moonshine, more of a glow this close to the satellite, was distracting to say the least, and the movements of the vast hordes of monsters would only disturb her mind further.  So much was happening on the planet.  So much that she might have prevented through the use of her powers.  But there was no guarantee of that.  Just as there was no guarantee that Edea's plan would work.

She couldn't quite believe that Squall had agreed to the course of action Edea was proposing.  Couldn't quite reconcile an image of him cold-bloodedly agreeing to the murder of innocents, with the image of him as a child, searching for pretty pebbles along the beach at the orphanage.  But then, she couldn't quite believe that Trabia Garden was gone either.  An entire Garden, annihilated, and Irvine and Selphie among the dead.  Nor could she believe that Deling City was no more.  But truly, the lights on the very curve of the planet below that had used to shine from the ever-awake Galbadian capital had vanished one night.  And they had not appeared since.

A war, as yet covert and shadowy, was raging across the innocent-looking blue and green orb below, and she could only watch helplessly.  Unless she returned.  Unless she too hardened her heart and agreed to Edea's lunacy.  A silent tear slipped from one eye, floating upwards to bounce against the ceiling.  If Squall truly had agreed, then there was clearly no other course.  A second tear followed the first, reflecting red light as night fell on the planet, and the moon began to rise.

Ellone turned away from the window.  She would not, could not, watch dawn break over the moon, for the heaving redness of the satellite's cold, monster-ridden surface suddenly looked all too much like blood.

Her announcement to return to the planet was received with surprise, and more than a little concern.  It was no secret that she'd returned to space in order to avoid becoming a pawn in such events as were unfolding, and so to find that they had failed in that regard was greatly dispiriting.  It certainly put a dampener on the welcome celebrations for the newest crew member.  In fact, she'd been given such a baleful glare from the young man that Ellone had almost felt guilty.  But then she'd remembered why she was going back, and had glared back at him until he was forced to look away.

Maybe it was a shame that he wouldn't be there long enough to gain his coveted moonskin, but that wasn't her problem.  Her problem was the slaughter of millions on the planet below.  A slaughter that both Edea and Squall seemed to think she could prevent from occurring again - the only catch being that their plan involved the deaths of every sorceress on the planet whom Kylari had not already killed or otherwise subverted to her cause.

Ellone finished dressing, and opened the door of her room.  She was confronted by the sight of the latest crew member, armed and waiting for her.

"What's going on?"  She demanded, frowning in confusion.  Surely there was no way Kylari had managed to reach them up here, or to sneak her subversives into the space training program through Laguna's rigorous screening.

"You came up here to stay out of the crap that happens on the planet.  We're not letting you change your mind just because a sorceress and SeeD say you should."

"That sorceress happens to be the closest thing I have to a mother."  Ellone growled, pleased to see some of the colour draining from the young man's still-normal skin.  "And SeeD happens to be run by my half-brother."  She added.  But the crew member had ceased to be impressed, or cowed.

"All the more reason to prevent you making a hasty decision."  A suspicion started to nag at the back of her mind.

"And do all the crew share your sentiments?  Why aren't they here as well?"  A calculated look flitted across his face.

"Some do.  Some don't.  But they'll come around.  We're in charge now."  He finally drew his weapon, a low-powered stun gun.  It would be enough to incapacitate, but not kill, and most importantly, a miss wouldn't result in damage to the space station.  "Go down to the control room.  Slowly.  And remember I'm right behind you with this."  He waved the weapon warningly.  Ellone sighed, and began the short journey to the control room, pulling herself hand over hand along the rail.

She paused when she entered the control room.  The entire crew of the Phoenix was there, most of them herded to one side of the room under the watchful eyes of the only two without moonskin.  Ellone sighed, realising at last just how dangerous the space cadet obsession with moonskin had become.  If only they had known the truth, would they have been so obsessed?  She wondered, but it was not something she could do anything to change.

"Has she agreed to stay until we get our 'skins?"  One of the two guards demanded, noticing her standing in the doorway with her personal 'guard' behind her.  A moment later he frowned, obviously receiving a negative headshake from the one behind her.

Taking a deep breath, Ellone glanced a few minutes into the future...and saw what she had to do.

It had taken a considerable amount of persuasion, and some inventive helpfulness on the part of the captive crew, to finally convince the three mutineers that there was a secret, ultra-fast way to gain their moonskins.  But having been told that it required suiting up and exiting the station to float in space for at least an hour of the moon-day, and with only three hours of that time left before dawn on the planet, Ellone was hoping that none of them had been able to install any sneaky 'contingency plans'.

Now, with the three at a tether-rope's length from the station, she had decided it was time to let the three young fools know what they were so determined to get themselves into...

"So.  Any of you three actually know what moonskin is?"  Heads twisted nervously as two of the moon-bathing crew looked at each other.

"A symbol of our courage, determination and excellence."  The third replied, conviction strong in his voice.  Ellone shook her head sadly.  How more wrong could he be?

"No.  Your ignorance would have you believe that, but that isn't what it is.  Moonskin is the external and only visible symptom of Carcinoma Lunamagia, Moon Cancer.  Caused by the magic radiation of the moon."  There was stunned silence for a moment, then the two uncertain crew began babbling denials.  The third remained silent.  Ellone wondered what was going through his mind.  Was he resigned to his path?  Or did he believe so strongly that her words had not registered?

Blinking back tears, Ellone nodded to one of the crew members who'd remained loyal.  Everyone there except the three outside had been back to the planet since getting their moonskins - they'd been briefed, and they'd agreed to return, even though they ran the risk of speeding their deaths.  There was a series of three sharp cracks that seemed to echo through the space station as the tethers were released, leaving the three spaced crew floating helplessly.  Soon the moon's gravity would slowly begin to drag them towards its red bulk, and the monsters that inhabited it.  Fortunately shock and terror seemed to hold the three in a grip that rendered them voiceless.

"Did you really think that none of us suspected treachery, bitch?"  The calm and cold voice of the ringleader shattered that assumption - at least in one case.  "Did you really think that by rushing us out and then spacing us you would prevent us from retaliating?"  He laughed, a chilling high-pitched giggle.  "Well, see how fast you can jump back into your brother's bed without a shuttle, SeeD whore!"

As if his words were a signal, there was an explosion that rocked the space station.  The shuttle.  At some point he'd clearly attached a bomb, and now it was clear he had been sentenced to death, he'd attempted to seal the fates of all onboard the Phoenix. 

And it was going to be close.

The shuttle had been damaged beyond repair, but ordinarily that wouldn't have affected the space station beyond a few adjustments to the orbital path.  Luck hadn't been with them, though, and as parts had sheered away in the blast, the lower levels of the station had been badly damaged.  The Phoenix's hull had been seriously compromised.

So the crew member who escorted her to the escape pods explained.  What he didn't explain, and she didn't discover until too late, was that in order for her pod to have a clear re-entry path, the remaining crew of the Phoenix intended to use the last of the space station's manoeuvring fuel to blast them towards the moon.  The Phoenix was going to go out in a blaze of glory, as befitted her name, and in the last hour of moonshine...

And all she could do was shake and cry, and vow that their deaths would not be in vain.

AN: Yes, before people point out the whole 'but Squall said/thought/knows Ellone isn't a sorceress' issue, Squall knows, and probably a few other people know, including Ellone.  But that doesn't mean everyone knows, and Squall at least is quite happy to limit the number of tests run on his half-sister.

Seifer: I'm bored.

Zell: snorts you've only been out of the action for one chapter.  I've got more reason to complain - when are you going to explain why I was not in the apology for authery evilness last chapter?

Seifer: smirks that's easy, Chickenwuss.  Everyone knows that's how you act normally.

Irvine: If you don't want to attract flies, don't eat so many hotdogs

Zell: runs away screaming I see dead people!

Squall: That was cruel smirks

Review!  Please!


	4. A Noble Sacrifice

AN: 'insert witty comment here'

Seifer: 'Is there anybody there?! Cried the writer.  Review once for yes, and twice for no!'

Squall: ';;'

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc Battle Lines Chapter Four A Noble Sacrifice**

Ellone's return from the Phoenix hadn't been kept quiet. 

They hadn't thought it was necessary. 

How wrong could they be?

Kylari was facing a turning point.  She could feel it, looming over her mind, the moment so pivotal that her decision, as yet unmade, was casting a shadow of its effects backwards in time.

In fact, her decision was so important that she had called a meeting of the personalities still within her mind...

]She knew my child, my not-child.  I must talk to her.  She must tell me the truth.  She must know the truth.[

#The meddling bitch tricked me!  I'll kill her!  I'll make her beg me to kill her!#

Silence!  Kylari's mental voice blasted through the mixed demands of her two other-selves.  Ellone would die, sooner or later - there was no question of that.  When that time came, or after they had the sorcerer powers, then their personal vendettas and agendas could be fulfilled.  Until then they had to consider the longer-term implications of their actions.

]Later then.  The truth, later...  What now?[  Kylari pounced on the rare moment of sanity and relevance, well aware that it would not last long.

Do we tell the Kenthra of her?  Or do let her do all our work, running around killing sorceresses for their power?  There was a snort of discontent.

#Our work.  Our fun.  Stalking sorceresses, their knights, helpless.  Making them feel what we felt...#  Kylari ignored the grumbling personality.

]The Kenthra will bathe in blood.  They will blind Esthyre's land with the blood they shed. That is this world's truth.  This time's truth...  But what of my truth?  What of my child?[  Kylari sighed, aware that the personality was unlikely to make any sense for some time.  But she had spoken - and if it was somewhat of a riddle, that made it all the more likely that it was truly prophecy, and not just incoherent ramblings.

#Bathing in blood...#  The other personality purred, seeming fascinated with the idea.  #The Kenthra bathe in the blood of Estharian scum, and we bathe in the blood of the world..."  Kylari rolled her mental eyes.

So we tell the Kenthra.  But how much do we tell them?  And what of their Centra brethren?

#Not all.#  Came the hissed response.  #Let them take the girl and the Esthar scum, but the sorcerer is ours.#  Kylari silently agreed.  #Tell the Centra nothing.  They could find him in this age, but he is ours.#  Decision made, Kylari turned her attentions back to the external world, and the worshipful Kenthra on the floor before her.  Her lip curled.

"Worthy Kenthra.  You have proven yourselves loyal and strong, and I have your reward."  Carefully she explained about Ellone - and her return to the earth.  The fact that she had been in space seemed to be all the proof or evidence that the Kenthra needed to declare her a 'sorcerer bitch'.  With a mighty cheer, the Kenthra swiftly vanished to go about their mission.  Kylari smirked.  Esthar wouldn't know what had hit it.

And they didn't.

There hadn't been any warning before the attack, and it was only the Kenthra's sheer technological naivety that had given the workers inside the Lunar Gate time to prepare.  Even so, they never stood much of a chance.  No one was armed except Kiros, Laguna's small escort, and the guards fortunate enough to be on the inside of the base when the Kenthra attacked.

So it was with the certainty of death facing them that they retreated to the communications room, and began to send frantic warnings both to Esthar and to Garden.  There was no hope of rescue arriving in time to save them, but, once they received the message from the Phoenix that Ellone was returning in an escape pod, they didn't care.  Their task now was to delay their attackers - clearly after Ellone from their fervent screams of 'death to the sorcerer bitch' - long enough that a rescue party from Esthar could reach the emergency landing zone, far to the south, without having to fear an attack from the black-robed, kukri-wielding lunatics.

And they performed that task well.

When Edea arrived on the scene, barely half an hour after the last desperate messages from the Lunar Gate reached Esthar, she found only blood and still-warm corpses.  Even silent, the bodies of those who had fallen spoke of the high price they had forced the attackers to pay. 

Laguna, at the very end, with no weapons but his bare hands, killing at least three Kenthra in an adrenaline and rage-fuelled berserker's charge, before several others swarmed and overwhelmed him... 

Kiros cutting a larger swathe, surrounded by Kenthra dead, having matched his hand-blades against their kukris, and finding the kukris wanting, but the odds just too great...

And Ward, perhaps most tragically of all, slumping at last over the table he'd used as an impromptu weapon, wicked-looking shiruken with poisoned blades covering him like a second skin, the Kenthra finding even their numbers no match for the hulking man...

Edea, to her surprise, found herself blinking back tears.  She had admired Laguna, in a way.  Respected him certainly.  She could still see, in her mind's eye, the nervous but determined young soldier, carrying an infant in his arms, and leading a young girl by the hand, as he approached the gates of the orphanage.  Had she not had Cid, and had Laguna not been so determined to help the people of Esthar - so determined that he had given up his children to her upon their mother's death - she might have asked him to become her knight.

'I ask you to take care of them whilst I cannot.  I will return for them, one day.  I promise.'  His final words to her, before he turned and walked away into the gloomy Centra night, never looking back.

'I ask you to take care of them whilst I cannot.'  The words echoed in her mind.  He had promised to return for them, a promise he had not kept.  But he had not asked her to promise to care for Squall and Ellone.  He had not asked for any assurance, any binding word that she would care for them.  She had no obligation to him, or them.

So why would his words, from what seemed like an eternity ago, not leave her alone?

Feeling tears prickling at her eyes again, Edea hastily scrubbed them away with the back of her hand.  Automatically she checked, finding only clear liquid.  There was still time.  Still hope.  But would Squall accept her help?  Would he help her?  Or would he coldly swing that chill blade of his, and end it that way.  There was only one way to find out, but it meant trusting Ellone's safety to the Esthar rescue crew.  No doubt, having heard the warnings of those manning the Lunar Gate, there would be a heavily armed military compliment with them - after all, Ellone was now President, if she accepted the job.  And besides, if anything were to happen, the White SeeD ship was nearby, and would be monitoring the situation.

Squall, having heard the news of the deaths of Laguna, Kiros and Ward, was in an extremely quiet mood.  This was not, as anyone who knew him - namely Seifer, Quistis and Zell - a good thing.  Squall's quiet moods had a tendency to break without warning, and without warning of which direction they would break in.  You did not, as Seifer well knew, piss Squall off to break him out of a quiet mood, because he would make a serious effort to kill you.  Not a serious threat and a mock attempt to end your life, but no threat and a very serious attempt to permanently stop your breathing.  You also did not, as Quistis well knew, try to break Squall out of a quiet mood by telling him why he was in a quiet mood in the first place, because you might just end up learning things about yourself that you didn't want to know.  And he'd immediately snap back into the quiet mode as soon as you left him alone - which was extremely fast if you were a child, and you were told that the reason you tried to be grown-up was because you thought then your parents would return.  But they wouldn't, because they were dead, and never coming back.  Zell, on the other hand, thought perhaps he'd had the most brains of them all, because he'd never attempted to break Squall out of a quiet mood in any way, shape or form.  Privately, Quistis and Seifer agreed with him.

Thus it was, that when Edea returned, determined to speak to Squall, that all three of them did their best to dissuade her.

Seifer, so aware that a single mention of Laguna's name could send Squall over the edge in either direction, caved first.  He saw Edea's tears, saw the fear in her eyes that she might be losing it there and then, and stepped away from the door with a shake of his head.

"You still have something left to lose."  He told her.  "Don't throw it away by mistake."  With that warning he left Quistis and Zell blocking the doorway alone.

Quistis, afraid for Edea, but aware that the sorceress was free to choose her own path, and indeed, entitled to, moved next, saying nothing as she went to stand by Seifer.  Zell was left, perplexed and alone, in front of Squall's office door.  Finally, recognising that, as their matron, Edea had once been able to dispel Squall's quiet moods without consequences, Zell also moved to one side.

The three watched in silence as Edea opened the door, and entered the lion's den.

AN: wow...four chapters down...I'm on a roll.  The joy of having everything plotted out ;)  Well, almost everything ;; Review please!


	5. Dangerous Memories

AN: zzzzZZZZZZ

Seifer: looks around OK, we can sneak off while she's asleep

Zell: falls down stairs with a loud crash

Zephyr5: zzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZ

Seifer: yells Quietly Chickenwuss!

Zephyr5: zzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Squall: ...

Zephyr5: wakes up whazzapnin?

Seifer and Zell: sweatdrop

Rei the Wind Spirit - thank you for the review! glomps  I only hope I manage to hold everything together right through to the end ;)

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc Battle Lines Chapter Five Dangerous Memories**

He had his back to her, and Lionheart was already drawn - an ominous sign.  But there was something different about the silence now that she was in the room.  From outside, tainted by the fears and expectations of the three SeeDs protecting the brunette from the world, and the world from the brunette, the silence had seemed to teeter on the verge of devastating violence.  Now that she was in there, with just the source and the silence, the air seemed steeped in regret.

"Kiros was right."  He was staring out of the large window.  Gazing at something or nothing, Edea couldn't tell.  "Too damn right."  He growled.  Violence flashed through the atmosphere like lightning lancing through a storm cloud.  Before Edea had even registered movement, two chairs exploded into splinters beneath Lionheart's razor-sharp edge, the crash as they disintegrated like a clap of thunder in the office.  Seconds later Seifer, Quistis and Zell burst in, weapons at the ready.

They found the two of them standing in silence.  Squall staring out of the large window at the storm rolling in over the Gaulg Mountains, Edea staring at the brunette's back, as the last specks of dust from the wrecked chairs settled to the floor.

"What do you want Edea?"  Squall sounded distracted, as though his real attention were elsewhere.  Edea took a step closer and bowed her head.

"I came, to respectfully ask for your aid, and to offer mine in return."  There was silence.

"And what of Ellone?  Is she safe?"  Edea swallowed.

"She should be.  Something happened on the Phoenix..."  A raised hand cut her off.

"But you don't know for certain."  Squall's voice was dangerously soft.  "You try and play your petty games in order to bring her back from space.  You ignore the fact that Kylari has Rinoa shadowing your every move.  You virtually hand Kylari the chance to leave Esthar leaderless.  And you have the gall to return to beg me to provide you with a knight, before ensuring that Ellone is, indeed, safe."

"You're being too hard."  Zell remarked into the tense silence, his words evoking a similar scene many years before.  Squall, coldly criticising the Forest Owls as an outdoor television flickered and displayed Adel's cries for help.

"Is he?"  It was, surprisingly, Edea who spoke.  "It's all true.  Had I known about the threat to the Lunar Gate I would have warned them, but I didn't think..."

"No.  You didn't think."  Squall cut her off.  "Sorceresses never think."

Squall, calm down.  Seifer warned the brunette firmly.  This worked up, Squall could let slip things that he couldn't afford to let slip.  Do you intend to help her or not?

"There...there are things I would like to tell you.  Things that I should have told you before, about Kylari's motives."  Squall finally turned around.

"I know."  The two words said everything.  His attention switched to the others in the room.  "Seifer, choose the five most suitable candidates from the top six ranks of SeeD - include Nida.  Quistis, put a call out for the ones he chooses to come up here.  Zell, you sort out the elevator codes."  The three vanished into the outer office.  Minutes later Quistis' voice came over the Garden-wide tannoy requesting that five named SeeDs report to Squall's office at once.

Their responses were prompt.  Within ten minutes of the call going out, all five SeeDs were lined up in Squall's office.  They were clearly nervous, but hiding it well considering the wreckage of the chairs still had to be cleared away.  Seifer wondered if they were contemplating how high to jump when Squall said 'boo'.

"Well Edea?  Yours is the need.  I'm not going to order anyone into it."  One or two of those Seifer had chosen seemed to recognise Squall's tone of voice.  There was sudden stillness about them, a hope that the ground might swallow them, or that they might suddenly become invisible. 

"Your former headmaster, Cid Kramer, my knight, is dead."  She looked for a reaction, found none.  Her heart sank slightly.  "I will go insane, probably sometime soon, if I do not find another knight."  Still no reaction.  But their emotions weren't hostile, just wary, defensive.  Almost, protective...  But what of?  What did they think they had to protect from her, at all costs?  "I will not force anyone to become my knight.  But your Commander has allowed me to ask you..."

"I volunteer."  It was a slim brunette at the end of line, someone Edea had seen, but not really seen.  His green eyes were full of compassion and understanding, and Edea suddenly wondered if it really was possible to fall in love more than once.

How in hell did you know?  Seifer demanded of Squall, gaping at Nida in surprise.

Just a hunch.  Squall's words were tinged with mental laughter, his thoughts stained the pale pink of amusement.  It was infectious.  Seifer found himself fighting to keep the grin from his face.

"Thank you Nida.  The rest of you, dismissed."  The four SeeDs, deliberately chosen by Seifer because he'd known they wouldn't volunteer to be a sorceress' knight, saluted and hurried from the office.  Quistis and Zell followed them, out of reflex at the dismissal Seifer thought, but he doubted they'd sidle back in.

The blond surveyed the room.  Edea and Nida were lost in each other, probably already halfway to completing the bonding process without even realising it.  Squall was watching them with a smug expression.  Seifer wondered just how long the brunette had been waiting to pair Nida up with someone.  But there was also a sadness behind Squall's eyes, a faint wistfulness perhaps, that this had been under happier circumstances.

Squall grimaced at the back of his eyelids and reined his senses in as far as he could.  The inevitable lip-lock between Nida and Edea was getting somewhat enthusiastic, but he was damned if he'd be driven out of his own office.  So he concentrated on the desk in front of him.  Or tried to.

Seifer was having similar problems ignoring the uninhibited bonding process across the office, and was currently attempting to estimate how many separate parts - bricks, beams, panes of glass etc. - made up the entire Garden.  He wasn't getting very far, but he was reasonably sure it was a lot.

"Shit!"  The muffled cry of alarm and surprise, coupled with the sound of two different people hitting the floor, had both Squall and Seifer turning to face Edea and Nida, weapons drawn, ready for trouble.  "Sorry sir."  Nida apologised mournfully, looking like he expected to get in trouble.  Edea was gaping at the brunette she'd just taken as her knight, but then she looked up at Squall - and scuttled away from him with a wordless squeak of sheer terror.

"No, no...nononono..."  She muttered, still staring wide-eyed at the SeeD commander.  Seifer frowned.

"I couldn't block her, sorry sir."  Nida apologised to Squall again.  Seifer's frown deepened.  Clearly Nida had some embarrassing memories that he'd failed to block from Edea's mind.  But why was he apologising to Squall?

"You're...you're a sorcerer!"

Seifer froze as Edea's accusation reached his ears.  She knew.  The secret was out...but...  She'd learned from Nida's memories, which meant Nida also knew.  How in hell had Nida discovered?

Squall ignored Edea, his full attention now on Nida, who was just picking himself off the floor.

"May I?"  The brunette sorcerer gestured, indicating that he wanted to see the memory Edea had.  Nida blinked in confusion for a moment, then nodded and hung his head, looking ashamed.

FLASHBACK START

"Hyne's truth!  They both said it!"  Nida wandered closer to the cafeteria table, intrigued by the snippet of conversation.

"The Commander," a pause to check that said brunette hadn't appeared, "a sorcerer."  The words were filled with a healthy scepticism.  "Get real.  Sorcerers don't exist."

"And what would you know?  Bet you think babies just appear on the doorstep!"  A small scuffle broke out over that, halted when someone firmly sat both involved parties down.

"Seriously though, don't you think so many things would make sense if he were a sorcerer?"  There was a contemplative silence, followed by a few tentative agreements.

"I guess it boils down to one question.  If the Commander is a sorcerer, does it make any difference?"  There was more hearty chorus of disagreement.  "So, whatever happens, we protect our Commander, and our Garden."  Fortunately the cafeteria was long used to spontaneous outbursts of noise at the back tables.

"Heard an interesting rumour earlier."  Nida's ears pricked up at the quietly off-hand comment.  He was in the SeeD lounge on the second floor, somewhere that rumours were only mentioned when they became fact.

"About Leonhart being a sorcerer?  Reckon that one's all over Garden by now."  There was a slight chuckle.  "I'd hate to be the one who lets it slip around ice-blade himself."  The chuckle was echoed by several other nearby SeeDs.

"So what do you think?  Is it true?  Or do we try and track the source and see if that imagination can't be put to better use?"  There was a burst of outright laughter at the suggestion of tracking down the source of the rumour.

"There's got to be some truth in it."  A contemplative voice decided, cutting off the laughter abruptly.  "Even if it's just that Leonhart's a potential target for any sorceress involved in this."  There was silence as that idea was considered.

"No."  Someone decided, shaking their head.  "I think it's more than rumour this time.  It's too convenient that this gets spread whilst Quistis and Zell aren't around."  A pause, and a shrug.  "What difference does it make anyway?  He's not become a sorcerer overnight, so sorcerer or no, he's still the same guy."

FLASHBACK END

"I see."  Squall stepped backwards, away from Nida, hand falling back to his side.  "Seifer, see if Quistis or Zell know of the rumour."

"They don't."  Nida spoke before Seifer could move.  "No one dared ask.  I guess they don't really want to know the truth.  It's all very well to think things through when it might or might not be true, but to have that taken away, to really know...  It's a big step to take."  Seifer stared at Nida in open astonishment.  The brunette had been a knight for under a minute, and already he was changing.  Squall really had known what he was doing.

Edea continued to gape blankly at Squall, her thoughts racing.  Squall...a sorcerer.  Squall, whom she'd raised from an infant, a sorcerer.  If it hadn't been for the carpet, rough beneath her hands, and the wall, cold at her back, Edea might have thought she was dreaming.  A nightmare.

Everything she'd been taught as a sorceress, everything she'd learned, said that sorcerers were, or had been, inhuman creatures.  Cruel and emotionless, only desiring power and control.  She'd learned to hate even the concept of sorcerers with her whole being.  She'd rehearsed, in the darkest hours of the night, what she would do to any sorcerers she discovered.  That had been before she'd learned that there were no sorcerers.  Not anymore.  Before she learned that the sorceresses had once joined forces, long, long ago, and conducted a fierce and bloody pogrom, eradicating the sorcerers from the planet.  Before she'd discovered about the cult dedicated to the eradication of all sorcerers, and those even rumoured to be related to sorcerers - the Centra.  Before Adel, and her days seeking out and eliminating sorceresses who abused their powers in Adel's domain.  Before she'd finally stopped one day, and looked at her bloodstained hands, and wondered, at what point did your actions make you inhuman?

That was when she'd fled Adel's increasingly paranoid rule.  Fled to Centra and begun an orphanage where she could save and nurture life, instead of blindly taking it.  And there she'd brought up, unknowing, a sorcerer...no.  She'd brought up a young boy and his sister.  A young boy who'd lost his mother, and been abandoned by his father, and who then had his sister snatched away by fate.  A young boy who'd not understood, or perhaps had understood too well.  A young boy who'd grown into a young man, and who had saved the world in the process.

Just who was telling the truth?  Edea wondered.  That the sorcerers had been persecuted by the sorceresses to the very edge of extinction was certain.  But why?  Had they really been power-hungry devils?  Or had the devils been the sorceresses?  Hyne knew that there were always sorceresses who desired more power than they'd been given.  And if she measured what she knew of sorceresses, against what she knew of Squall, there was little doubt in her mind.  Not only were her hands incurably stained with blood by her own actions, her powers were steeped in the spilt blood of innocents - actions justified by lies.

And if that was the truth, then she, and every other sorceress, deserved whatever judgement Squall passed on them.  They deserved to be hunted by him, as they had hunted his kind.  But he had never passed judgement on them for their past sins.  Even knowing, as he had to know if he knew to hide from them, what they had done.  He had the vast power of SeeD at his command, and the ears of the leaders of the two most powerful nations.  And he had done nothing but remain true to what SeeD stood for.  A neutral mercenary and training academy.

She was ashamed.

Nida felt the wave of shame roll from Edea into him, and turned from Squall to see his sorceress slowly climbing to her knees.  Head bowed, Edea took a deep breath.

"I humbly submit myself to whatever mercy you see fit to grant me.  I cannot atone for the wrongs of my predecessors, but perhaps I can begin to repair the damage that has been done."

"Edea...?"  Nida took half a step towards his sorceress, stopped by Seifer's hand on his shoulder.

"This is between them."  He patted the confused brunette on the shoulder reassuringly.  "Come with me, and I'll try and explain."  The two knights left the office, Nida casting a last glance over his shoulder before the door closed behind them.

"There is no repairing what was broken.  No recovering what was lost.  From the moment the memories of the sorceresses became dim, this end was the only end."  Squall's hand appeared in her vision.  Open.  Empty.  Offering nothing except the chance to start again.  She took it, silently allowing him to help her to her feet.  "Whether you side with me, or with Kylari, it no longer matters.  All that will change is how long it takes for the end to come."

Edea made her decision.

The explanation was simple.  Long ago sorceresses had waged a vicious and bloody war against sorcerers, desiring their powers.  They had succeeded in eliminating all but one line of sorcerers, and Squall was the last of that line.  Now Kylari, determined to merge the worlds of the dead and the living, was slowly eliminating all perceived competition in a bid to take Squall's powers.  An event that would result in the end of the world.

Quistis and Zell had both left - presumably to continue with their normal duties about Garden - and both Nida and Seifer were glad.  There was a tension between them, born of the knowledge that Edea's decision might result in them becoming mortal enemies.

But if Nida's inexperience had prevented him from guarding his memories, and led to Edea's momentous discover, Edea was a seasoned sorceress, and more than capable of shielding her emotions.  So it was only when both knights were contacted by their respective magi that they knew the outcome.

The tension peaked, and then faded as if it had never been.  Both knights changed, subtly - no longer holding themselves ready for an attack.  Nida looked relieved, as well he might.  Not only had he been spared a fight to the death against one of Garden's finest fighters, he'd also been spared the sudden and gut-wrenching realisation that his loyalties were no longer his own.  Oh sure, he'd make a hundred little choices every day, just as he already did, but if Edea decided something, then - like it or not - Nida had no choice but to back her up.  The last real decision a knight made was the decision to become a knight.  And in some cases, Seifer thought ruefully, even that decision was made for him.

The two knights entered the office together, each going to their respective magi.  Squall was back behind his desk, looking over a message that had just arrived.  He neither looked nor felt happy to Seifer.  Quickly reading the message over the brunette's shoulder, Seifer could easily see why.  They'd lost contact with both Esthar and Galbadia.  Esthar was only to be expected.  With the deaths of Laguna, Kiros and Ward, and Ellone still needing retrieving from the emergency landing zone, the still-xenophobic country had most likely sealed itself once more.  Galbadia was more worrying, because when they lost contact with Galbadia, it meant all their agents inside the country, and Caraway himself, were out of contact.  That was something that shouldn't have happened.  Then again, Seifer reflected, Kylari shouldn't have happened.  But she had, and now they had to deal with her as well as they could.  Which at the minute wasn't very well.

"Edea, I want you and Nida to go to Esthar - they've sealed themselves, but you know where the salt lake entrance is.  Find Odine and ask him what the likely outcome of killing a sorceress, possessed by an independent personality fragment of another sorceress, would be.  Then make sure Ellone's safe."  He paused for a moment, then threw a GF orb - occupied - to Nida.  "Should you need to get a message to me, Quezacotl will carry it."  Nida nodded slowly, and placed the orb with his own GF orb, in a pouch on his belt.

Seifer hid his own surprise.  It was one thing to admit to himself that there were things Squall had not told him - for whatever reasons - but quite another to admit that to someone who, potentially, could still become an enemy.  Admittedly, now he really thought about it, many things that had confused him in the past - about Squall and his GF compatibility - suddenly made sense.  The GFs had aided the sorcerers when they hid from the sorceresses, so of course all sorcerers were likely to have a high compatibility with GFs.  Add to that the fact that Squall was the last sorcerer...

"We'll find out what's going on in Galbadia soon enough."  Squall frowned as he spoke, reflecting on the fact that, whilst his hand-picked and discrete bodyguards had been enough to discourage most would-be presidents, there was one man who, with the backing of a sorceress, would have taken on anything.  Tieren Deling.  Vinzer Deling's son through and through. 

You'd have thought, the way his father ended, he might have learned a lesson about sorceresses and power.  Seifer mused, picking up on Squall's thoughts.

I'd hoped.  The brunette responded, watching silently as Edea and Nida teleported out of his office.  He thought they'd probably jump a couple of times - most likely both locations in Galbadia - before heading for their real destination.  Sensing a presence, he reached out with his mind, finding one of his early GFs hovering 'nearby' on the GF's home plane.  Ifrit, see if you can distract Rinoa when Edea and Nida breach the Esthar seal.  With a mental bow, the GF departed.

"You never told me the GFs liked you that much."  Squall chuckled at Seifer's reproach, a genuine sound of amusement.

"They'll do it for anyone with full compatibility.  Same as they'll appear physically."  Seifer blinked.

"It's nothing to do with you being a sorcerer?"  Squall shook his head.

"That helps with the compatibility, that's all."

"Oh."  Seifer fell silent, for once without comment.  "So what do we do about Galbadia?"  Squall shrugged.

"We wait.  They can't have gotten all of our contacts and operatives.  Someone will get in touch with us, or Galbadia Garden."

"You think the G-Garden's safe?  I mean, if she's going after Galbadia, she'll be going after the G-Garden as a base, right?"  Squall didn't answer.  "Squall?"  There was still no response, but Seifer could feel the brunette's emotions becoming flat - not suppressed - and dead.  Squall was entering another quiet mood...

AN: The whole Edea/Nida thing, don't ask me why, but I can kinda see Nida being her knight if Cid ever died.  I think he's the kind of person who doesn't stand out, until they find the niche where they belong.  Nida's niches in my mind (at least for this fic) seem to be as the pilot of Garden, and as Edea's knight.  Although piloting Garden isn't exactly a high profile career.


	6. Chaos Theory

AN: A note for those who missed the one in my bio - I realised after posting Chapter Five (yes, it took me forever to notice), that Fanfiction net is/was stripping my nice formatting *glares* Since I'm not sure whether changing chapter content generates an email alert, I'm erring on the side of caution (and laziness) and not updating all my previously posted stuff > 

Storm Angel: Thank you very much for your review, I can sympathise with school and homework, alas whilst my days of enforced homework are over, my memories of it are not... *shudders* And as I most definitely do not want a reviewer to die (you're a rare and possibly endangered species believe it or not), here is your begged-for update ;)

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Six ~ Chaos Theory**

Squall was in another quiet mood - or back in the earlier one. In a way that was fine, because, as he'd said, there was nothing to do but wait for various situations to become clearer. Rinoa couldn't be dealt with until Edea got an answer from Odine - and possibly not even then, a chilling thought. Ellone couldn't be 'rescued' until they knew where she was - and if she needed rescuing at all. And Galbadia couldn't even be assessed until they had a reliable report on the situation.

Squall had jumped to the conclusion - or maybe he hadn't, Seifer wasn't sure - that Kylari had made Tieren Deling, Vinzer Deling's son, her puppet President, as well as managing to silence all of Garden's contacts at the same time. Really there was too much detail there for mere conclusion jumping, unless Squall had expected something like that to happen. It was still possible, although - depressingly - less likely, that there was simply a communications problem and messages weren't getting through.

In another way, however, Squall's quiet mood was a bad thing. A very bad thing, Seifer thought, eyeing the report he'd just been given. The Shumi, ever a good indicator of when things were seriously fucked, were closing their doors. Whether they ever intended to open them again, they hadn't said.

Seifer wasn't sure whether his near heart-attack was caused by the sudden beep of the terminal, or by Selphie's ghost yelling exuberantly in his ear, but he was betting on the latter.

"What did you do?" He asked, once his pulse steadied. "And what am ~I~ going to have to do to fix it?" He added, with a sense of foreboding. Seifer could dimly make out the petite brunette pouting at him. She had been right, he ~was~ starting to see them - and occasionally others he knew were dead - and more clearly as time passed.

Selphie sniffed.  She vanished from sight then, although Seifer was sure he could feel her presence loitering nearby. Probably waiting to read the message over his shoulder, even though it had sounded like she already knew its contents. Maybe she did. Irvine's comments on the 'unique perspective' the dead had, hadn't been specific enough to say whether they knew what was going to happen as well as what had.

With a sigh, he opened the message, frowning as the header displayed the point of origin as Trabia. Who in Trabia would be sending messages to Garden? And where from? The Garden had been destroyed, so there were no working terminals there, and surely the nomadic tribes wouldn't carry mobile terminals around with them?

'To Commander of SeeD.' He read. Ignoring the fact that it was supposed to be for Squall's attention only, he scanned the rest of the message...

***

"As I say. Exactly as I say."

"But..." The young Trabian at the terminal keyboard protested.

"No 'But'. As I say. No more, no less." The Elder frowned, the implicit warning clear. Whilst he might be unable to read, he ~was~ able to count the groups of letters that made up the words, and he would know if more words had been added than he had said. The younger man gave up, and hoped like hell that someone at Garden would get it before the Commander, and add some much needed grammar.

"Alright. Exactly as you say." A brief glare as the Elder pondered whether he was being mocked, and then a sharp nod.

"New sorceress threatens all. Chocobo forces ride at your side. All Trabian forces fight together protect homeland." The Trabian typing in the Elder's words paused, and went back over the last sentence, inserting a comma, and hoping the Elder wouldn't notice. "What you doing?" The Elder demanded, having noticed the addition taking place.

"I put a comma in, so that whoever reads this doesn't asphyxiate." Or die from a brain implosion caused by bad grammar, he thought, but had the sense not to say aloud. The Elder shook his head.

"This why I not read. Dangerous. Asphyxiate " The younger Trabian rolled his eyes, unseen by the Elder. He'd forgotten during his few years of schooling at Trabia Garden, just how ~literal~ the older, and more traditional, Trabians were.

***

Seifer sat back with a low whistle, having managed to avoid a headache from the grammar - or lack of - by treating the message like a translated SeeD code transmission. Excess words trimmed, leaving meaning - and all that. Basically, the Trabian nomadic tribes had called a conclave, and from that they'd decided to throw in their lot with SeeD. But only as far as their homeland was concerned. That was only to be expected though. Black Chocobos could go almost everywhere, but they were far more suited to winter conditions than desert, and that was all Esthar consisted of.

"So just what has this got to do with you?" He asked the empty office, convinced - now he'd seen the message - that Selphie had been crowing over its contents when she'd nearly given him a heart attack.

_ She sniffed haughtily. Seifer quirked an eyebrow. He highly doubted that she wouldn't tell him, but she might force him to be a bit more...apologetic. He winced._

"You're a cruel person Selph. I...apologise." She giggled.

"Yes it bloody well was. Now explain dammit." He growled back at her.

Seifer blinked. 

"But...surely that system is ~made~ for corrupting?" He frowned, easily envisioning someone surreptitiously placing a handful of Gysahl Greens where the decision they supported was represented. Selphie giggled again.

She seemed delighted with his picking up on the possibility.  Another giggle.  Seifer groaned.

"Don't tell me you asked him to, uh, subvert their decision."

She grinned happily.  Seifer wasn't sure he wanted to know how that had been achieved, especially since, if he concentrated hard, he could almost make out a pale, Chicobo-like ghost hovering behind Selphie.

"Well, thank you for that...I think. More useful would be any insights on how to get Squall back in touch with the world." For a moment it looked like Selphie was considering saying something. Then she shook her head sadly.

_ Her vague gesture seemed to indicate the ghost of the Chicobo. __ He nodded, sighing as she disappeared from sight again. He hadn't really expected any help with Squall. It was almost cheating, somehow, asking the dead to reveal things that, in the normal course of life, you'd have to stumble blindly through. Of course, none of that solved his problem. He now had two..._

The terminal beeped again.

And again...

***

Four messages. Seifer glared at his terminal, daring it to beep again. It remained blessedly silent. Four messages - another glare for the, still, silent terminal - and Squall in a quiet mood. This was not good. Not good at all.

Fortunately all four of the messages could be neatly summed up in one or two sentences.

There was, finally, news on the Galbadian front. Tieren Deling ~had~ taken over the Presidency after Caraway was shot by an 'unknown and lone' gunman. He'd also, nigh on immediately, declared war on Timber and Dollet.

The Shumi were sealing their doors, with no indication of when, if ever, they would re-open them.

The Trabian nomadic tribes had pledged the support of their black Chocobo riders to SeeD's cause - but in Trabia only.

Oh, and Dr Kadowaki thought it might be a good idea to reassure Garden that they weren't just sitting back and doing nothing.

The blond knight groaned and hit his head on the desk a couple of times. However he tried to word it, the doctor's comment still sounded too much like a reprimand. Squall tolerated her, and her concerns - Quistis had recounted how the doctor had insisted on telling the SeeDs to protect the junior classmen, a completely unnecessary command - but the brunette had his limits. But he had no choice but to pass the messages - or their abbreviated content - on.

Taking a deep breath, Seifer stood, snatched up the piece of paper where he'd scribbled down, more legibly than usual, the content of the four messages, and went to face the music.

***

Squall was aware of his office door opening quietly and Seifer entering, a single sheet of paper clenched in his hand. He was aware of the slightly shorter strides towards his desk that his knight took. Aware that they were caused by the wariness he could sense from the blond. He was even aware that it was his own lack of response that was inspiring that wariness. But he couldn't find the will to do anything about it. He was dead, inside, just waiting for the outside shell that was left to realise and give in.

He didn't know when he'd died. Whether it was during the fight against Ultemecia, when he'd seen, through time compression, all the things that might have been. That had, and ~were~, the reality in a millions of other worlds. For every possibility, every combination of possibilities, a world. A million paradises and a million hells, and a million worlds in between the two. And yet, Ultemecia had touched every world - a key event. Her motives varied, good intentions leading to time compression as surely as bad. Another key event, sending ripples of distorted time through each world when she was defeated, everywhere, by whatever means. A third key event, her defeat. Key events were supposed to be rare, and yet three had appeared, so close together. And now Kylari, another key event? Were all the possible worlds, all the possible realities, converging?

Or maybe he'd died before that. When he'd first begun to live a lie. When he'd first realised that he was a sorcerer, first seen, through his ancestor's memories, how they had been persecuted to the verge of extinction. When he'd realised that he was the last, and that some higher power had chosen him to be their puppet, dancing to their macabre tune. That Death and Despair were his constant companions, and the only person who seemed to be immune he could not confide in.

"...that you should, uh, reassure everyone that we're not sitting back and doing nothing..." Seifer's voice finally penetrated the shroud of nothing around Squall's mind. He looked up sharply, startling the blond.

"What did you say?" Seifer swallowed. Either he took the blame and, most likely, prevented Squall from firing Dr Kadowaki - an action he'd probably regret later - or, he let the good doctor reap what she'd sown. He decided he'd probably regret either decision, but at least if he got injured, Dr Kadowaki would still be around to at least ~try~ and sew him up again.

"Well, surely we're going to do something about Caraway's assassination? I mean, we've sent Edea off to Odine to see whether we can remove Rinoa without causing something catastrophic to happen, obviously we can't tell people that. But surely there's something you can tell everyone so that they know we're just waiting for the moment to strike?" Squall refused to meet his eyes. "We ~are~ just waiting for the moment to strike, aren't we?" A sinking feeling began to overwhelm the blond.

"You want me to lie to them all. You want me to let them think there's hope - when there isn't." Seifer shook his head, denying the accusation, and the belief that there was no hope.

"No. I want you to be more open. At least tell ~me~ what you're planning..." He was cut off by Squall's quiet laughter. There was no humour in the sound, just the promise that the sinking feeling he was experiencing was only the beginning.

"What I'm planning? ~Nothing~ is what I'm planning." Squall said, his voice as dead as his expression. "Caraway was assassinated, Tieren took over. There's no evidence, and no reason for Garden to interfere in Galbadian political affairs." Seifer gaped, his thoughts in turmoil. He'd been certain that Squall would immediately send a sniper team to Galbadia, or send a representative to get an explanation for the hostilities towards Timber and Dollet, or do ~something~. But he was doing nothing. Just sitting back and watching as Galbadia, spurred on by Kylari no doubt, blatantly turned their backs on the sorceress threat and went to war. Not only that, Seifer realised, but he was doing nothing to avenge Laguna's death. He was doing...nothing.

"Enough!" Squall's bellow was a kaleidoscope of emotions. Anger, for the most part, but impatience and hurt betrayal were in there too. There were even traces of sorrow and resignation. "We're doing ~nothing~, because there's nothing ~to do~. Unless Timber or Dollet request SeeD aid, there's no reason for us to interfere. There's not even any evidence that Tieren's actions were due to Kylari." Seifer gaped.

"There was no evidence that Edea was going to be anything other than an ambassador - but you all still tried to kill her!" He snapped back, his own ire starting to rise. Squall glared at him, gold starting to show in the brunette's ice-blue eyes. Power hummed in the room, a thunderstorm waiting to break.

"I wasn't in command then." There was an almighty crash as another chair fell victim to a gunblade - this time Hyperion. His weapon still bared, Seifer pointed his finger accusingly at Squall.

"You said you'd keep fighting Leonhart, even though you're convinced we'll lose, so tell me. Tell me what the fuck you're planning, because I ~know~ you're planning ~something~." But Seifer already knew he'd lost. Squall's emotions had vanished from his senses, the brunette deliberately blocking them, and the only expression on his face was of chill calm. His eyes, still showing flecks of gold, only mirrored the fact that his emotions were strong, not what those emotions were.

"We're at war, Almasy. You can be my lover, my knight or just another annoyance I have to deal with on a regular basis. The choice is yours." Seifer glared, eyes narrowed.

"I'll watch your back, because I owe you." Seifer growled, sheathing Hyperion. "But whether I'm your knight...that's ~your~ decision."

AN: ooer...remind me ~not~ to cross a pissed-off Squall...wait, ~I~ already knew that *frowns*  
Seifer: Yes, I know that too, but arguing with the author ranks above it, sooo... *shrugs in resignation*  
Zell: *sniggers* more balls than brains - which isn't saying much  
Seifer: I never noticed before Dincht, but you really look like one of those chairs in Squall's office...  
Zell: O.O;;


	7. Galahabria

AN: Just in case anyone's wondering about the title of the ~previous~ chapter (six - Chaos Theory), I'm really referring to the butterfly effect used to explain chaos theory, which is that a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the world causes something to happen on the other side of the world (hurricane, tornado etc.). The 'butterfly' is Caraway's assassination, and the effects are the decisions of the Shumi and Trabians. Obscure, yes, but I'd already got plans for the other title I came up with for six...

Anyway, on with the fic!

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Seven ~ Galahabria**

As events turned out, Squall's requested distraction was entirely unnecessary. Edea and Nida, both unaware of Squall's conversation with Ifrit, had made a sole appearance in Galbadia. Or, more precisely, in Timber. Timber, which Rinoa had based most of her life around freeing from Galbadian 'oppression'. Timber, once again under siege...

***

"What's happening?" The brunette woman jumped at Rinoa's question, spinning in surprise and looking uncertain whether to run or fight. Then she recognised the raven-haired sorceress, and she sighed in relief.

"Rinoa, sweetheart, you know better than to do that to my old heart." She glared, but relented at the genuine confusion evident in Rinoa's expression. "You really are out of the loop, not to know that Galbadia's gunning for us again." Confusion was swept away by anger.

"That damned ~man~." She hissed. "Does he think to curry favour with SeeD by using Timber against me?" The leader of the Forest Fox resistance group felt a chill run down her spine, but she was too experienced to let it show. Instead she let her surprise win out over her fear, and shook her head in disagreement.

"Didn't you hear? That new sorceress SeeD's fighting, she got Deling's son to kill Caraway. Only, just like his father, he thinks the way to stabilise the chaos ~that~ caused, is to set the military on us and Dollet - keep them too busy to think of staging a coup in retaliation, kind of thing." Rinoa, who had frozen at the mention of Kylari, fixed the brunette with a suspicious glare.

"And what else do you expect ~SeeD~ to tell you?" But her vehemence was fading, and her uncertainty growing. Part of her remembered that Caraway was - or had been, if he had really been assassinated - her father, and that he had loved her and forgiven her, despite the way she had tried to humiliate him at every turn. But another part couldn't remember a father at all, not even a step-father, or a father figure. Easier, and less conflicting, to believe that Deling had taken over...

"But...~we~ told ~SeeD~." The leader of the Forest Fox pointed out. Rinoa's mind whirled again. Part of her knew a lot about SeeD - except the 'true purpose', which no one seemed to know - but the other didn't know ~SeeD~, just Squall, Seifer, Quistis and Zell. And them mainly by appearance alone. That part only knew that they were mercenaries, soldiers of a sort, and a school as well - a veritable hotbed of hated authority. Rinoa had experienced that authority under the best, and worst, conditions. She had found it a close-knit environment, where no one was shunned because of who their parents were, or because they didn't have parents, but where everyone was measured by their academic abilities.

/Would SeeD have taken me? If they existed then?/ The thought, suddenly so distinct and separate in a mind that had thought itself whole, took Rinoa by surprise.

_ She added the last thought somewhat bitterly. There was a mental shrug._

/Parents don't deserve to live./ There was no sense of shock at the blunt statement, just an acceptance based on the shared experiences of a shared mind. Whatever degree of separation Rinoa had achieved, accidentally, was gone.

"What are the Galbadian positions?" Rinoa demanded, her expression grim.

"I'll fetch the latest plans." The leader of the Forest Fox turned away, hiding a grim smile. SeeD undoubtedly knew Rinoa was harbouring a vendetta against them - some of the communications between the Gardens that they'd caught supported that idea - but it couldn't hurt them overmuch if two of their problems sorted themselves out into one, and if Timber made a point about its freedom at the same time...well, so much the better.

***

"Sir! Scouts from C and D companies have returned."

"Didn't I order companies C, D ~and~ E back - in their entirety?" The aide winced slightly at the Colonel's growl.

"Yes sir, but... I think you'd better see them for yourself." Muttering under his breath, Colonel Grent followed the aide out of the command tent, and smack into a swarm of medical personnel. He paused for a moment, surprised despite himself, but quickly regained his frowning composure.

"Report!" The battlefield-honed bellow sliced easily through the chaos before him, and a field surgeon was quickly pushed in his direction. Grent raised an eyebrow in question.

"Ah, uh, Colonel." The man stammered, clearly uncertain as to what he should say or do. Grent bit his tongue to stop himself from commenting on civilians in the army. Fortunately for the surgeon, and despite the protests of the medical personnel, one of the scouts managed to push his way through to the Colonel.

"Sir! Scout company D reporting, sir!" The Colonel sighed in relief, and returned the scout's salute. "Sir, the forest is swarming with powerful and high-level monsters that ~shouldn't~ be here - and at least one species that hasn't been identified." Grent nodded. "The Timber resistance forces seem to have withdrawn, so I can't say for certain whether the monsters are something to do with them, or whether some other factor has come into play..."

"Medic!" The scream drifted faintly across to the medical personnel outside the command tent, who instantly stampeded in its direction. Grent turned his attention back to the scout.

"So where's your company? And what of the other scouts and ~their~ companies?" The scout's expression darkened.

"I ~am~ D company. All that remains of it anyway. C company's scout made it back with me, but the medics were too late to save him - C company is ~gone~. As for E company..." He shrugged. "I don't know about their scout, he got separated from us when the Malboro...well, we got separated. The rest of the company weren't doing so bad when we left - if anyone can get survivors back, they'll be from E company I'd guess."

"Sir!" Another aide, who had gone with the medics to investigate the new medical emergency, had returned. She was red in the face, and her eyes were wide with fear. Grent acknowledged her appearance with a wordless grunt, and waited patiently as she caught her breath. "The scout from E company just arrived. He...he says the Timber resistance has been joined by a sorceress!"

***

Esthar was in chaos when Edea and Nida appeared, seemingly out of nowhere - the barrier to the city worked both ways. Fortunately she was known to some of the aides in charge, and so, whilst they were disapproving of her breach of the barrier, they politely escorted her and her knight into a presidential waiting room. They waited there for several hours without seeing anyone. Then a young servant stuck her head into the room and inquired if they wanted anything to eat or drink. Edea smiled and declined, Nida requested a glass of water and turned back to the book he was inspecting as the girl left, stiletto throwing knife eased back into its sheath as unobtrusively as it had left.

It was an aide Nida recognised who returned, bearing his glass of water. They automatically greeted each other with the same formal greetings they used over the video links, shared a grin for the force of habit. Then the aide introduced himself to Edea, and she to him - although he knew well enough who she was. They had located Odine, the aide informed them, when the unintentionally elusive scientist had tried to commandeer more volunteer workers to help clear up the ruined parts of his laboratory. The question was, would they prefer to see him in the palace, meaning he would have to be brought to them, or would they prefer to see him in the intact part of his laboratory, meaning they would have to go to him. Either way, the aide pointed out, reminding them of the ban on magic within Esthar itself - now the monsters from the lunar cry had all been pushed back into the wilderness - it would be another two hours before they met Odine face to face.

Edea opted for the laboratory, closer to the border if they needed to leave in a hurry, although Nida pointed out that security was tighter in the palace. The aide grimaced, and also pointed out that no one had been able to stop Odine talking about anything, wherever and with whomever asked. Decided, the aide led them to the rear of the palace, where a sleek vehicle - only really large enough for two passengers and a driver - awaited them. Briefly he spoke to the driver, informing her of the destination, and then he exchanged brief goodbyes with Edea and Nida before heading back into the palace as they departed.

***

"Ah! More volunteers! Gut, gut. Zey need a hand over zere." Odine waved vaguely at a couple of people moving smaller chunks of rubble, frowning when Edea and Nida made no move to go and assist. "Vell? Vat iz it?"

"I am the sorceress Edea..." Odine's face lit up in delight.

"Even better!" He exclaimed. "Zere iz a large chunk of ceiling zat can only be moved by ze larger cranes... or magic." He held up a hand, stopping Edea from speaking. "I know, I know. Magic iz now forbidden vithin ze city. But," he leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Zere are no sensorz to detect ze use of magic!" Straightening, Odine began to walk away, obviously heading for the chunk of ceiling he'd mentioned, forcing Edea and Nida to follow him or risk losing him again.

The shy SeeD, flourishing as a knight, grinned, and stepped out a bit faster, easily drawing level with Odine, who was chattering on as he walked.

Hidden by the maze of rubble and debris that the scientist had led them into, there was no one to see as Nida put a friendly arm across Odine's shoulders, bringing both words and motion to an abrupt halt. Slowly he turned them around, and Edea could see the knife resting with its flat against the scientist's throat.

"Now," Nida murmured. "Stop talking and ~listen~." Odine swallowed, the knife bobbing slightly with the movement of his adam's apple. Edea smirked slightly.

"I have come to ask a question of you, Doctor Odine. You know that a fragment of personality is passed along with a sorceress's powers?" There was a hesitant nod. "If such fragments were large enough to form a separate personality, and that separate personality were grafted onto another sorceress's mind, what would be the consequences of that sorceress's demise?" Nida moved the knife away, but his arm remained across Odine's shoulders. The scientist looked thoughtful, and then shrugged ruefully.

"I vould have to know to vat extent ze two personalities had melded. Othervise, I cannot say vith any certainty..." Edea frowned.

"The two extremes then, a complete meld, and no meld at all." Odine's eyes widened.

"You vish me to...guess?" He said the word as though it were something repulsive. Nida rolled his eyes.

"Hypothesize." The knight muttered curtly. Odine's expression turned thoughtful.

"Vell zen... If ze two mindz are not melded, zere vill be a constant struggle for domination. Killing a sorceress in zis state could result in ze powerz being split and going to different recipientz. If ze meld is complete, zen ze sorceress's death could result in ze powerz finding zere vay back to ze sorceress who grafted ze personality." Edea nodded, as though her own thinking had resulted in a similar conclusion.

"Thank you. Come Nida."

Odine watched them leave with a sigh. He'd have to find ~some~ way to recruit a crane operator to his clean-up crew. Almost wistfully he thought back to Adel's reign, and the unlimited prison labour. Ah well, he'd just have to make do with what he had, and what he could scrounge.

***

Finding their vehicle and driver still waiting, Edea and Nida availed themselves of the easy transport, and were driven back to the palace. The driver radioed ahead that they were returning, and so the two found the communications aide waiting for them.

"I hope the doctor was able to help you." He greeted them, bowing slightly. Edea smiled slightly, accepting Nida's hand to aid her out of the vehicle.

"He was of some use, yes. Thank you." After brushing out some wrinkles in her dress, she looked up and continued. "But now I should like to ask you for news of Ellone." A shadow passed over the aide's face, and he looked away, unable to maintain either eye- contact or his pleasant attitude.

"We lost contact with the rescue team whilst you were gone." He admitted. "They were under attack by the same group that attacked the Lunar Base..." His voice trailed off as he looked back at Edea. The sorceress had gone completely still, pieces of the puzzle finally clicking into place. She blanched, a tremor running through her frame.

"Forgive me." She whispered, reaching to take Nida's hand in her own. The aide stared blankly at the space before him, a space suddenly empty of both sorceress and knight, still uncertain whether she had been asking forgiveness of him, or some higher power... Finally he shrugged and turned away. There was no way to prevent magic, the ban was merely a matter of courtesy, and with the sorceress having teleported away, there was no one to reprimand either. Still, from the way in which she had blanched, and the tone in which she had whispered her apology, it might just be that the situation warranted her expeditious departure.

***

"Edea?" The hesitant tone was filled with her knight's confusion and concern. She ignored it as she cast around with her senses, normal and sorceress, discovering that they were at the point where Ellone's capsule had landed, but that the rescue team had made it away from the site before they had come under attack. "Edea." Nida repeated, more firmly this time. Irritation and panic mingled into an expression that had her knight catching his breath.

"The Centra know that Ellone is related to the sorcerer, although I don't think they know who the sorcerer is...yet." She began, striding in the direction of the vehicle tracks, forcing Nida to follow her or be left behind. "When I created SeeD to act as neutral and independent mercenaries, so that any country could apply to them for help, whether against revolutionaries, dictators or malign sorceresses, I didn't know the truth about sorcerers. So I created the White SeeD, separate from SeeD, and with a different purpose entirely. They were to combat any sorcerers I happened across." Nida's breath hissed between his teeth, and she knew he had realised the implications. "I can only hope that we find Ellone before any other, interested, parties."

The vehicle was in sight now, although it was not an encouraging sight. Bodies, both in Estharian uniform and black robes, were scattered around the car, whose engine was still giving off a small plume of smoke. The stench hit them as they got closer. Scorched metal and burnt plastic from the car, blood and sweat, and the metallic taste of gunpowder in the air coming from the corpses and the area of the fight. But there was no sign of Ellone, either for good or ill...

"Trouble." It was Nida who spoke, spotting the figures heading towards them. Edea looked up, and went still.

"Centra." She muttered. "They may defer to me - I am a sorceress after all..." Nida nodded, surreptitiously easing all of his weapons in their sheathes. It seemed that Edea's guess was correct, for the group visibly relaxed once they became aware of her status, becoming almost reverential.

"Daughter of Hyne, well met." The leader of the group said, bowing deeply, whilst those behind him dropped to their knees, inclining themselves so that their foreheads touched the sand. Edea stared at him regally, finally inclining her head slightly in response.

"Well met." Apparently it was the response the group expected, for they all straightened, although none but the leader looked at Edea, the others keeping their eyes fixed on the ground. "What is your business here with these Estharians? Is there some quarrel with Esthar that I do not know of?"

"No quarrel Daughter. Merely a dispute involving the custody of a very dangerous girl." Edea's eyebrow arched.

"Another sorceress? Surely that should not provoke your interest so. That is our business." The leader bowed deeply again, clearly expecting to be punished, but just as clearly determined to explain.

"A sorceress perhaps, but one with the cursed blood of the sorcerers running through her veins." Nida felt Edea's hopes soar, it sounded as though the Centra did not have Ellone, but did that mean she was alone, or had some of the Estharian soldiers managed to survive the attack?

"You do not have her yet." Edea made the question a statement, allowing her tone to sharpen. As impossible as it should have been, the leader's bow deepened until he was bent almost double, staring at his own knees.

"We do not." He admitted. "We managed to kill all of the Esthar scum, but we were forced to seek reinforcements. The girl is now gone, but she cannot be far, and she is alone now."

"Excuses are not tolerated. Failure is not tolerated." The words came from nowhere, preceding Kylari's appearance off to one side. Nida tensed, glaring at her as she shot him an amused glance. "Atonement, however, might be possible." The Centra were all on their knees at her words, foreheads pressed to the ground as though pressing hard enough would save them from the new sorceress's wrath.

"We are yours to command, beloved Daughter of Hyne, scourge of Sorcerers." The leader's words were muffled by sand and his robe, but no less fervent for it. Kylari grinned like a Fastitocalon, a chilling gesture.

"This sorceress and her knight are traitors. They aid the sorcerer and seek his favour by returning his kin." There was a low growl from the Centra. Kylari's grin widened. "Kill them, and perhaps I will overlook your failure to take the girl." Slowly the Centra stood, pulling their kukris from their sheathes. Kylari laughed, and turned to Edea. "I would stay and make this personal, but I have a wayward self to bring back into line. It seems I allowed her too much leniency, but I can afford her hatred now." She shook her head. "You could have won, so easily, and yet you all went chasing after the little things, denying me petty victories but handing me the war." With a final confused frown, Kylari vanished again.

As if her leaving had been a signal, the Centra charged...

***

At first the fight was fairly even. Somehow their black robes seemed to absorb magic attacks, so Edea was left on the defensive, shielding herself and Nida against their attacks. Nida himself was holding his own fairly well, since he didn't have to worry about incoming projectiles thanks to Edea's shields. But once the Centra realised that it was really only Nida they had to worry about, the fight became a stalemate, the SeeD/knight forced to retreat completely behind Edea's shield by the Centra's greater numbers.

"Give up!" Nida shouted. "You can't win!" The Centra paused in their relentless hammering against Edea's shields, looking to their leader. He simply straightened with a proud toss of his head.

"We are the Kenthra." He declared. "We win or die, but we ~never~ give up." Nida felt the shock that was Edea's response to the situation, and saw the shields flicker for the briefest moment. But it was a moment that the Kenthra also saw, and seized advantage of.

Nida found himself fighting for his life, unable to even see Edea through the black-cloaked opponents that had him surrounded, but somehow certain that she had managed to shield herself once more. As he lashed out at those before him, he moved towards them, trying to limit the opportunities those at his back had to strike. Inside he knew it was futile, he'd seen what the Kenthra had done to Laguna and the others at the Lunar Base, and the evidence of how the fight against trained Estharian soldiers - in an equally numbered fight - had gone. There was no way he could hope to win out over the odds stacked against him. But he was damned well going to take some of them with him.

Baring his teeth in a snarl, Nida let his instincts take over, turning him and his twin fighting knives into a whirling ball of flashing steel that tore through anything in its path. But still, he was surrounded, his back constantly to one or more enemies, and finally one of them got through, burying a kukri deep into his back, slipping between his ribs and slicing into a lung. Nida staggered, suddenly coughing and choking up blood. He knew it was possible to survive with only one lung, but not whilst fighting. A second kukri was driven into his side as he tried to recover his balance, a third, more carefully aimed now that he was barely able to fight back, sliced through his spine just above the pelvis. He toppled to the ground, legs paralysed with the severing of his spinal cord.

Abandoning the two fighting knives, Nida managed to kill one overly- confident Kenthra with a throwing knife before another contemptuously flicked a shiruken into his neck. Air and blood gurgled in his throat, stifling the scream as one of the Kenthra sank a kukri deep into his heart. Nida jerked once and was still, his left hand falling limply to his side, revealing a crumpled phoenix feather...

***

Edea stifled her sobs and anguish as the Kenthra managed to leap through the brief gap in her shields. Separated from her knight, she could only build her shields around herself and watch as the Kenthra surrounding him moved backwards and forwards. He was fighting superbly, she could tell from the way the ranks of the Kenthra were thinning, until only six surrounded him. But he was also drawing close to the limits of his endurance. As she looked on, unable to do anything except maintain her own shields, Edea felt the first sharp flare of pain, the Kenthra had finally broken through Nida's defence.

It didn't take long after that. She felt the pain of the second knife, fell to her own knees as the third cut Nida's spine and brought him down, clutched her neck as the shiruken robbed him of his voice, and screamed where he could not as the Kenthra finally finished him off.

Edea could not see the phoenix feather, but she could feel the bond between them waver and begin to fade away. Eyes bright with unshed tears, Edea reached deep inside herself and found the core of her sorrow. With another heart-wrenching cry of anguish, Edea let her shields drop and flung her sorrow outwards.

A powerful emotion, cast out by a sorceress as a weapon, Edea's sorrow took physical form. A rolling wave of air and sand, given an unstoppable force by magic, expanded outwards from her position, flinging the remaining Kenthra away from both the sorceress and her fallen knight. Four were killed by the force of their landing, the others were smothered by the sand forced into their lungs. All were burned as the phoenix GF exploded from the ground to hover protectively over Nida's lifeless form.

Edea watched, slightly awestruck, as the phoenix's healing flames washed again and again over her knight. Already she could feel the bond between them, which had not quite faded, strengthening once more, and she was aware, once the kukri was forced out of his body, of Nida's heart taking up a slow beat. She revelled in the pain of the sensation of the kukri in his spine being forced free, because the pain meant he was alive, and if he was alive, it meant she might yet be able to save him. To save herself. She had killed Cid to save him from Kylari's depraved tortures, a fact that had, just barely, enabled her to live with herself and cope with her grief. Now she would do her utmost to save her new knight, her new love, and redress the balance in however slight a way.

As the phoenix faded away, she dragged her exhausted self across to where Nida lay, too anxious for her knight, and too lacking in energy to flinch away from crawling over the charred corpses of the Kenthra he had killed. He was struggling to breathe, blood from the punctured lung still threatening to drown him, a gruesomely ironic way to die in the heart of a desert. Using the little energy she could spare, Edea tried to heal him and stop the worst of the blood flow, an effort that was only partially successful. Unable to do any more, she hunched herself over Nida's battered and bleeding form, slipping an arm beneath his shoulders, and the other across his chest to cradle him closer to her body, she drew heavily on her reserves, and teleported them both back to the Estharian Presidential Palace.

***

They appeared on the floor of the communications room, startling the communications aide from his attempts to raise the Estharian recovery team. As his urgent shouts for medical aid rang through the room, Edea let herself slide into unconsciousness, knowing that she would either wake with her knight, or not at all...

AN: Wow... that has to be the most...~to plan~ chapter I've ever written... or at least it was *glares at muses* Damn things screwed up the timeline on me...~again~...so I had to swap over a huge chunk from the next chapter, otherwise events would have been so out of sequence that even time compression would've made more sense *looks for muse to blame*  
Muses: *sweatdrop*  
RxR - or the muse gets it!


	8. Unsafe Haven

AN: *puts away iron and shotgun* heh, uh, the iron was for straightening out the timeline *grins* the shotgun...well, let's just call it a wrinkle preventative ;)

goldengirlrallyho!: Thanks for your review - I couldn't agree more ;)

Storm Angel: Heheheh... Rest assured, I don't start posting something unless I'm going to finish it ;)

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Eight ~ Unsafe Haven**

The rasping clunk of a key in the iron lock startled Jassan out of his contemplative daze. Frowning, he checked his mental clock - too early for 'breakfast', and his 'supper' tray had already been taken. Either they were ready execute him now, or they had more torture in mind. Not that he'd really been tortured. A few kicks and punches, the threat of worse, sleep deprivation and attempted humiliation had been all that he'd suffered. Nothing he couldn't endure. Nothing he hadn't been trained to endure.

The heavy wooden door swung open, just wide enough for a figure to slip into the cell. The cultist pushed the door shut again, and locked it, leaving the key in the lock. Jassan frowned. Sure, his captors were confident, and with reason, but ~that~ confident? Something funny was going on here.

"I have a reputation as a hot-head when it comes to spies - or suspected spies." The cultist stated, turning to face him, and displaying clearly the gun that was holstered at his hip. Jassan's frown deepened into a glare. Either the cultist was saying right out that he was going to kill him, or...

"Who do ~you~ work for?" The cultist looked surprised for a moment, then chuckled.

"First I'd like proof that you ~are~ a spy. This is mine." He displayed a gently glowing orb, held in one hand. Jassan sucked in a surprised breath. A GF orb, occupied and, possibly, junctioned. The cultist was no cultist, but a SeeD spy. Slowly he nodded. With little effort, he hitched up the ragged trousers he was wearing, tugging them up until his left knee was visible.

"Ready?" The SeeD nodded. With a sly grin, Jassan positioned his hands on either side of his kneecap and pressed. The SeeD jumped back with a muted curse as the entire lower leg came away cleanly.

"Estharian prosthetic?" Jassan nodded. "Hmm, well, I'm satisfied. This room isn't bugged by the way, although they like people to think everywhere is. The budget can't afford it." Jassan snorted his amusement of that fact as he reattached the leg. Immediately he was aware of it in a way that was almost real. It looked, felt and behaved like a real limb, made to do so by a mixture of machinery, bio-technology, and sealed magic. If you didn't know it was there, or how to test for it, you'd never realise it was false.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" The SeeD looked uncomfortable.

"What do you know of what's been going on? What are your orders here?" Jassan shrugged.

"I know there's a new sorceress. I know the Centra have been in contact with her. But that's all. You don't hear much except history down here. As for my orders, well, I was sent undercover three years ago, with orders to act as I saw fit, and to pull out after five years." He shrugged again. "It's only recently I've seen any real activity, and ~that~ was what got me caught." He sighed. "I got too close to where I shouldn't have been, without a watertight excuse. Now I'm here." The SeeD frowned.

"Esthar's sealed itself off again. President Laguna and his aides were killed by a more fanatical branch of the Centra - under the orders of the new sorceress." Jassan looked shocked for a moment, then swore loudly and vehemently. "Deling city has been destroyed, Esthar has been badly damaged, General Caraway has been replaced, and Galbadia is at war against Timber and Dollet." The Estharian's jaw dropped.

"Shit...I really ~am~ out of the loop." The SeeD shrugged.

"The worst is, the Centra are planning something ~big~ - even ~I~ can't find out what it is, and all their accounts go past me." Jassan blinked. The SeeD spy had clearly managed to infiltrate much further up the hierarchy than he had.

"So...why come to me?" But he had a sinking feeling, from the expression on the SeeD's face, that he knew why the SeeD had come.

"I have information that ~must~ get to Garden. I can't risk running it through the usual channels - not with security being stepped up even more. That means I have to get out, and my only chance is at your execution tomorrow. But the Centra also have to be stopped, or at least dealt a blow so crippling that they can't do whatever they intend." Jassan nodded, accepting the news of his impending death with almost a sense of relief. He'd been expecting it from the first day they'd thrown him in the cell, but each day they'd brought meals, sometimes emptied the bucket in the corner, sometimes thrown a bucket of water over him, but never had news of his execution passed his gaoler's lips.

"So I get to have the last laugh." Jassan grinned crookedly. "Suits me. What do I do?"

***

The timing couldn't have been better. The fishing ship, commandeered by the SeeD spy, although he ~had~ paid for transportation to Balamb, was just beyond the harbour walls and pulling away quickly under a strong wind - caused by the SeeD's GF in reality - when the sound of the first explosion reached them. The crew rushed immediately to try and see what was going on, but Garet turned away. The show would be much larger soon enough, much, much larger. Silently, he willed his GF to speed the ship faster. There was no way to be certain where the destruction would end, not until it was too late.

"Holy fuck!" Despite his intentions not to watch, Garet found himself turning automatically at the exclamation. A bright light was glowing in the heart of Dollet, a brilliant white almost too bright to bear, shot through with dirty green and yellow streaks.

"Ultima." He corrected quietly.

"You do this, SeeD?" The captain asked, expression unreadable. Garet stared at him for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the dome of light - now almost at its largest, and covering most of the town.

"No." He lied calmly. "A cultist group beneath the city itself is responsible." He sighed heavily, honestly. "I'd hoped to reach Balamb in time to send reinforcements, but..." The end of the sentence was lost, unneeded in its demonstration as the Ultima spell, boosted to its unearthly size by other spell capsules placed at strategic points, collapsed in on itself, and Dollet. A mushroom cloud of dust and debris rose high into the air, darkening the sky and the land for miles around. And only then did the backlash of the spell hit, a rolling ring of heated air and smaller debris that screamed towards them.

Fortunately the harbour wall was between them and the magical grapeshot. With a loud bang and much clattering, the sturdy wall took the battering that would otherwise have turned the ship to tinder. The crew, and Garet, muttered various thanks to Hyne.

"A cult you said." The captain regarded Garet with a frown. "Now, how would a cult be getting a hold on that kind of magic?" Garet looked the man in the eyes, finding the suspicions lurking there.

"Galbadia declared war on Dollet and Timber, what, eight hours ago?" The captain nodded uncertainly.

"Something like that." Garet nodded sharply.

"They're moving faster than Galbadia have ~ever~ moved, and with far more coordination. They've been planning this for a long time, and who better than a cult to remove a city that SeeD have successfully thrown them out of - even with ~cadets~ a couple of times - every time they've invaded?" Garet spoke with perfect honesty, perfect conviction, but what he intimated was almost as far from the truth as he could get.

The captain bought it. He was a simple fisherman, and beyond the basic, 'slow moving Galbadians hate us, SeeD protect us and through us themselves', politics weren't his strong point. The SeeD was speaking honestly, he could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes, both ways that he'd learned to judge people by, rather than their appearances or their words. Fortunate perhaps, for the SeeD, that the captain had never had to deal with politicians or bureaucrats.

Garet allowed some of the tension to drain from his muscles as the captain turned away and began issuing various commands for sailing. It would have been difficult, but not impossible, to make his way back to Balamb without a crew. This way he would most likely arrive in Balamb sometime in the evening.

***

Breathing harshly, Ellone reached up to wipe the sweat from her brow once more. Her shawl was no longer damp, but the sun was too strong for her to consider removing the only protection she had for her head and neck. She was glad it was approaching the cooler Estharian evening, although she knew that the cold of the night would be a more serious threat. If more of the people in black cloaks didn't catch up to her.

Ellone wasn't sure who they were, except that, from the angry cry of one soldier, they were the same people who had killed Laguna, Kiros and Ward - and who were, without doubt, after her too. The thing was, she wasn't sure why they were after her. Ultemecia's motives had been clear, her ability to move minds through time had been crucial to the sorceress's attempt at time compression, although her reasons for time compression had never been revealed. But aside from the screams of 'death to the sorcerer's bitch', there was nothing except a psychotic fanaticism in the way they were hunting her down. Ellone hadn't even thought there ~were~ any sorcerers...

A cooling breeze ran gently across her heated skin, and she sighed with relief. Finally, she was near the coast. If she was right, if the White SeeD had been monitoring communications, then they would be here, somewhere, either their ship or a lookout. Stumbling forwards another few steps, she found the ground rising before her - she would have to climb a small ridge of rocky outcroppings before she could see the sea, and be seen from the sea. A determined expression on her features, Ellone slowly made her way up the jagged rocks, using her hands to pull herself forwards and to balance herself when she paused for breath.

Her nails were broken, and her palms torn and bleeding by the time she reached the top, her breath now audibly rasping in and out of her parched mouth. Lips cracked - her tongue too dry to moisten them - and eyes bloodshot, she knew, somewhere, that she must look a mess, but she no longer had the energy to care. Her whole world had narrowed to the point where all she could see or think of was taking the next step closer to her goal. Swaying slightly, she stepped forwards, and off the cliff...

***

It was just gone 18h00 when the fishing vessel pulled into Balamb harbour. Thanking the captain for his troubles, and giving him the name of the local hotelier - dropping the hint that the hotel was looking for a source of fresh fish, although the information was several years out of date - Garet headed into town.

It was twilight, that eerie time where it wasn't light enough to be day, but it wasn't dark enough to be night, the time when half the streetlights were on, and the other half remained dark. Garet liked the twilight, especially in the summer, when the longer days meant it stretched from early evening to nearly midnight on the longest day. He liked the twilight because it was in between one thing and another, as he was. He wasn't quite what he professed to be - for this mission a Centra cultist - but he wasn't quite a SeeD either.

Humming quietly to himself, and reflecting that the town hadn't changed a bit since he'd last been there, Garet headed for the garage to hire a car. He was in luck, the single rental car had just been returned, its engine still warm, and more importantly, its tank still full enough to get him to the Garden. Handing over the last of his cash to the girl in charge, Garet accepted the keys solemnly, acknowledging the girl's automatic caution for careful driving with a fervent affirmative. Having managed to get this far, there was no way he was endangering the information he ~had~ to get to the Commander with reckless driving. That said, he wasn't going to dawdle either.

***

"...be fine after a rest...lucky not to have any serious injuries...heatstroke will pass..." Words faded in and out of her aching mind as she faded in and out of consciousness. Gradually the world seemed to steady, the dizziness passing and finally allowing understanding and memory to return. She had been heading for the sea, for the safety of the White SeeD, and then all she remembered was falling into darkness...

"Might have been for the best if she hadn't survived." A rough voice muttered, sounding muffled by distance...or a door. Ellone tensed at the implication of the words, and then sagged again as her bruises and scrapes made themselves known. She must have fallen off a cliff...

"You can't mean that." Another voice, a familiar voice, chimed in. "She's our only link to finding the sorcerer." There was a pause.

"What link? We ruled out Leonhart after Matron sent him to us - she'd have said if he was the sorcerer. He's the only relative we know of."

"This Kylari is convinced that there is a sorcerer. How do we know that there isn't another relative of hers out there? Orphans are easily hidden away."

"Or she could be the last of the line. In which case we must decide how we handle this with great care." Ellone's ears pricked up at the sound of a third person's voice. If someone hadn't already mentioned Edea as 'Matron', the voice of the White SeeD called Tyller would have given it away. Tyller had been part of her bodyguard during the war against Ultemecia, the one she had gotten to know the best.

"We can't use her as a hostage unless the sorcerer knows they're related - which is unlikely, unless it ~is~ Leonhart." There was a snort of derision loud enough for Ellone to hear it in the next room.

"It ~can't~ be Leonhart. He's the Commander of SeeD for Hyne's sake. They'd all die of heart attacks if they thought he was a sorcerer." Ellone could almost see the speaker shaking their head. "No. We're probably best to treat her as the last, and deal with any complications as they turn up."

"Such as Kylari?" A fourth voice, she thought it sounded vaguely familiar, spoke for the first time. "I don't believe she holds the welfare of the planet in high regard. Would you have her use a girl - whose only crime is to be born into the wrong family - as breeding stock?" Nausea washed over Ellone as the words sank in. Breeding stock! She gagged, and rolled onto her side to choke up bile. Her hacking attracted the attention of the other room's occupants, and the door opened, bright light spilling into the cabin to start her head pounding again. She gestured feebly, trying to ward the light off.

"Easy there." The light vanished, and gentle hands supported her, wiping her mouth with a tissue, then running a cool cloth over her face and the back of her neck. She recognised the voice as the one she had only caught snatches of as she recovered consciousness. "You're suffering from heatstroke, and severe dehydration as well as being banged up from your tumble down the cliff. You're lucky you aren't dead."

"Am I?" She whispered feebly, shuddering as the words 'breeding stock' ran through her mind again.

"Don't worry." The doctor soothed her, helping her roll onto her back once more. "Tyller, Sven and I won't let any more harm come to you. I promise." As darkness rose once more to claim her, Ellone wondered how, exactly, they planned to keep their word.

***

Garet felt the adrenaline beginning to build in his system as he parked the rental car in the basement car park of Balamb Garden. He was so close now, so close to delivering his information and completing his mission, and anticipation was making the tension build throughout his body. He felt alive, in a way he hadn't felt alive since his last real fight. Everything was sharper, clearer to his senses, a high that was one hundred percent natural.

A few students and SeeDs looked at him oddly as he strode towards the elevators, but their eyes took in his clothing, and they dismissed him as just another returning field agent as quickly as they saw him. Ahead of him the elevator was just opening to reveal...

"Almasy?!" Garet's hand fell to his sword, and he moved into a combat stance automatically. To his surprise, no one else, after a brief glance at the situation, paid them any attention. As for Seifer... The blond ex-knight sighed and scrubbed one hand across his face before stepping out of the elevator and raising an eyebrow.

"You've been out in the field a while, haven't you." It wasn't a question, and Garet got the distinct impression that this wasn't the first time the blond had been confronted. Still, no one else was rushing to intervene, no alarms were blaring, and he ~had~ been in the field for a long time. Since before Ultemecia... Over six years in fact, probably a record for SeeD deep cover, although his mission had been one of indeterminate length. "What's your SeeD ID?" For a moment Garet hesitated, then shrugged and told him, straightening as he did so. The blond hadn't made any move beyond stepping out of the elevator, it seemed unlikely he was going to attack him in the middle of the Garden.

***

Seifer caught a brief flash of surprise before Squall responded, his mental voice sharp.

***

Garet wasn't sure what was going on, just that Seifer was standing there, gazing into the distance.

"Alright. C'mon." He blinked, but the blond was already turning back to the elevator. The SeeD had little choice but to cross the distance between them and follow Seifer into the, suddenly, cramped elevator. It was only when the blond input a code - obviously one that accessed the third floor - that it really dawned on Garet just how out of the loop he was when it came to internal Garden affairs. Six years of intrigue and gossip gone - and he was unlikely to ever catch up again. It was almost depressing.

"Aren't you coming?" He queried when Seifer made no move to follow him into the outer office. The blond gave a bark of laughter and grimaced wryly.

"I'm the ~last~ person he wants to see at the minute." The elevator doors closed on the blond's snort of amusement. Shrugging to himself, Garet crossed the outer office and knocked on the inner office door.

"Enter."

***

He'd known that after the war against Ultemecia, Headmaster Cid had taken an indeterminate leave of absence, leaving Squall Leonhart, then the Commander of SeeD, in charge. He'd also known that Squall had refused the title of Headmaster, much preferring to remain a Commander. But he didn't know ~what~ he was expecting of the man himself. Sure, he could remember the guy as a cadet, since his GF use was only for his infrequent reports, but he of all people knew that time changed everything. Not to mention fighting directly against Ultemecia.

So Squall's demeanour, so unlike the cadet he remembered, was something of a shock, but not entirely unexpected.

"Report." Belatedly Garet realised he hadn't saluted, realised just as quickly that Squall hadn't cared.

"The Centra Cult based beneath Dollet has been crippled as per standing orders." Squall's expression, if anything, was pleased.

"Civilian casualties?" Garet swallowed. This was the difficult bit.

"Anyone in Dollet at the time, possibly some of the surrounding area. At least one fishing crew survived." There was a long pause, and then Squall nodded.

"Acceptable." Garet barely controlled the relieved sigh that fought to escape. "Why did you pull out?"

"The Centra were planning something big, something even their accountants weren't allowed to know about." He took a deep breath - best to get this next bit over. "And they were working with an independent branch of the cult - the White SeeD." If anything, Squall went stiller. Blue-grey eyes, ice pale in their intensity, bored into his own.

"And?" Garet licked his lips. He might have missed all the intrigues, but after under a minute alone with the SeeD Commander, he'd already worked out that bearers of ill tidings had better watch out.

"They believe Ellone to be related to a sorcerer, and that you are the sorcerer - although the White SeeD are not convinced." Squall muttered a curse and turned away.

It wasn't as though he hadn't expected something like this to happen, although the White SeeD were a revelation. He'd always wondered why Edea had created them and kept them separate. A deep frown etched on his face, Squall concentrated for a moment, summoning Quistis to escort Garet to the cafeteria and answer his questions, and sending Zell to find out where the White SeeD were, and what their communications were showing. If they were looking for Ellone they would have scouts out, and the moment they found her, those scouts would be recalled so that the White SeeD could go back into hiding. Turning to face Garet once more, Squall found the older SeeD looking somewhat apprehensive.

"It's true, isn't it... You ~are~ the sorcerer." Squall studied him quietly for a moment, trying to gauge what the others reaction would be.

"Yes. Does that make a difference?" Garet thought for a long moment, thinking about the fact that it had been Headmaster Cid - a man more perceptive than many realised - who had placed Squall in charge. Finally he shook his head. Squall nodded. "Good. Quistis will accompany you to the cafeteria. She can answer any of your questions, or ask Seifer if she doesn't know. Dismissed." Garet remembered to salute this time, and he thought the hint of an amused smile teased at Squall's expression as he returned it.

***

Zell arrived not long after Garet had departed, but long enough for Squall to have brooded and come to a decision. He was sick of doing what had to be done, sick of watching as people died because of him. He would rather kill Ellone himself, as Edea had killed Cid, to keep her from Kylari's clutches, than watch as the White SeeD and Kylari used his half-sister as a weapon against him.

"Report." The curtly cold order, and the colder room, was warning enough for Zell.

"The White SeeD have her, they're just off the coast Northwest of the Emergency Landing Zone. I think Kylari's in the area too - Esthar sent a priority message regarding Edea and Nida." Squall frowned. More complications to an already complicated situation.

"What about them?"

"They're both unconscious and in intensive care. Esthar thinks they were attacked by the Kenthra, or at least had a run-in with them." Which really did mean Kylari was in the area. The Kenthra wouldn't have attacked Edea unless they were told she was working with the sorcerer, and she would have used them to find Ellone and then steal her from under their noses. Rage flared, leaking out to Seifer and turning the water in the air around Squall's body to shining ice crystals. Zell held his breath, trying desperately to become insignificant and beneath Squall's notice. He had no desire to wind up like some of the chairs in the room - kindling. With an audible snarl of anger, Squall snatched up Lionheart and vanished, the ice crystals melting and falling, creating a miniature rainstorm where he had been standing. Zell sagged with relief, although his mind was already starting to worry about where Squall had gone, and what the brunette was going to do. He jumped when the door to the room slammed open, an openly worried Seifer bursting into the office.

"Shit." The blond cursed. Then he noticed Zell. "What the hell just happened Dincht?" Zell had the fleeting wonder if death by pissed off Squall might not have been better than interrogation - and possible death - by pissed off Seifer.

"Uh, the White SeeD have Ellone, Kylari's been in Esthar after Ellone, and Edea and Nida are both in intensive care in Esthar after a run-in with the Kenthra." Seifer looked as confused as Zell felt. Then the older blond's expression changed.

"The SeeD that just came in from the field, where is he?" Zell opened his eyes wide.

"With Quis...she said to join them in the cafeteria..." Seifer was already moving, and Zell darted to catch up, still confused. Maybe Seifer had the right idea, maybe the SeeD who had just spoken to Squall would have some idea, or information, that might indicate why Squall had suddenly gone off the deep end.

***

There was no point trying to change things, the apathetic voice in the back of his mind muttered. The end would come, one way or another, sooner or later. Was that voice his conscience, Squall wondered, or was it the part of him that had died, that had no hope, no optimism. Was it even his own thoughts? There was no point, the voice repeated, the world would end forever, or... The White SeeD ship appeared below as he materialised high over the Esthar coast.

Rage flared again, and his wings exploded from his back - a dramatic and unnecessary gesture, he didn't need wings to fly. They were dark, but almost transparent, as if the feathers were made of smoky quartz. Their true power though, was what happened when you looked ~through~ the wings, staring at the world through a veil of death. No mortal could handle the sight, it guaranteed insanity and death for them.

He called softly, feeling her surprise and caution, feeling her sudden recognition and realisation. 

She answered quietly, surprising him for a moment before he remembered that part of her gift was the ability to speak to the minds of those she knew.

He sensed her hesitance, and then acceptance.

Squall descended to the deck of the White SeeD ship silently, looking like a divine angel of retribution, Lionheart glowing an eldritch and chilling pale blue, both the weapon and himself surrounded by an unearthly aura of ice crystals. The first lookout to see him alerted the rest of the ship with a hair-raising scream, falling to the floor foaming at the mouth and attempting to hook his own eyes out, frantic to escape what he had seen through Squall's outspread wings. Most of the White SeeD forces were dead or incurably insane before they realised what was causing it. They went into hiding, or struck blindly at him with their eyes tightly closed. Squall started to laugh at their futile efforts, randomly forcing them to open their eyes or simply cutting them down where they cowered. The deck was awash with blood, the White SeeD ship no longer a pristine symbol of their name.

Only a handful remained, clustered around Ellone as if unsure whether their presence was protecting her, or her presence protecting them. He reached his mind out to them, overpowering them easily, drawing them to him. Quite how Edea had expected these pathetic fools to destroy him, he didn't know... And then he realised what he was thinking, what he was doing. He had, however briefly, become the sorcerer that sorceresses had been taught to fear. He had, for a moment, become the sorcerer version of Ultemecia. And that was unforgivable, no matter his reasons. His wings vanished with a dull thump, air rushing to fill the vacuum they had left. He staggered over to the rail of the ship, retching over the side until nothing but bile was left.

Dully he became aware that the White SeeDs who remained, whom he had summoned from the cabin to join the slaughter, were standing behind him, watching silently.

"Well?" He asked wearily, making no move to turn and face them, waiting for the blade in the back that would surely be their answer. The silence continued, prompting him to turn. Squall nearly wept as he took in the completely blank expressions, the vacant stares that the men wore. He had wiped their minds completely by forcing his own will upon them. And what he had done in his anger, he could not now undo. They parted before him as he walked towards the cabin, closing ranks behind him and following on his heels. Squall turned again, knowing what had to be done.

They died as they had lived the last few moments of their lives, unheeding, silent. Choking back the urge to vomit again, Squall roughly cleaned the edge of Lionheart on a gore-spattered uniform, leaving the white material stained red. Sheathing Lionheart, he stepped into the cabin, finding Ellone huddled in a corner, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"You'll be alright now." He soothed, wishing he could believe his own words, and kneeling next to his half-sister. "You can open your eyes." She did so with a sob, throwing herself into his arms in a drastic reversal of the times she had comforted him at the orphanage. In the back of his mind the voice cackled to him - you can't go back now - and vanished, leaving an emptiness that made him go cold. With all his inherited memories, who was to say that he was truly alone in his mind, truly sane.

As Ellone sobbed into his jacket, clinging to him as though he might disappear any second, a silent tear trailed down his face. Soon, soon, it would all be over - for better or worse.

AN: Hm... quite pleased with this chapter actually *pats muses* the shotgun seems to be working ;)


	9. Broken Secrets

AN: Yes, Squall's acting a little erratically *dodges glare 'o death* c'mon, he's torn between letting stuff happen and trying to change what he knows is going to happen, he's had a massive fight with his 'knight/bodyguard', and then learned that Ellone was in the hands of a branch of the Centra cult - the White SeeD. Of course he was going to do something he'd regret.

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Nine ~ Broken Secrets**

The reports were good. Very good. Excellent in fact. As far as Timber, its resistance factions and its secret weapon - Rinoa - were concerned anyway. The Galbadian army had been driven back on all sides, suffering heavy losses. Quite what their thoughts were on the Malboros and Ruby Dragons, suddenly where they shouldn't have been, along with other high-level monsters and the Tree Guardians Rinoa had summoned, no one knew. Confusion and fear most likely.

Rinoa didn't care. She had her senses wide open, directing her monsters where she could feel the invasive minds of Galbadian soldiers most clearly. The Tree Guardians were there to pick up those she missed, acting independently of her commands now that they had been summoned and given the scent of the enemy. She was tiring fast, drawing most of her energy from the earth now, thankful that the powers inherited from Adel allowed her to augment her strength in such a way.

Her exhaustion was probably the reason she didn't sense Kylari until the sorceress was behind her, holding her in a vice-like grip, one hand on her shoulder, the other wrapped around her throat so that the razor-sharp nails grazed the skin. The raven-haired sorceress froze, able, through the skin contact, to sense Kylari's displeasure.

"I send the Galbadians against Dollet and Timber, whilst ~you~ were supposed to trail that traitor Edea." Kylari hissed, breath hot against Rinoa's ear. Vaguely she realised that Kylari had betrayed her, a faint memory of the other sorceress promising to help Timber stand against Galbadia's attack. But Kylari had sent Galbadia against Timber herself...

"You..." She choked on the words as Kylari's hand tightened, pressure on her windpipe making her breath rasp in and out, preventing words from being spoken.

"I said Timber would need powerful friends, not that I was one of them." Kylari murmured. "I warned you that Galbadia would seek to annex Timber once more, how else would I know if I didn't intend to send Galbadia against them?" The pressure at Rinoa's throat eased, but now it was emotion that prevented Rinoa from speaking. "I might have at least spared their lives had you not interfered, but now I must reassure the Galbadian fools, ~and~ teach you a lesson in obedience." There was the sensation of movement, the ground dropping away, and Rinoa realised that Kylari was flying, lifting her effortlessly into the sky, high above Timber, so that the entire area that Timber claimed as its own was visible. "You see, your disobedience cost me the last of my precious Kenthra. I think it's only fitting that your punishment is to watch all of your beloved Timber find oblivion."

Kylari's grip tightened once more, and Rinoa couldn't even scream as Timber was engulfed in an elemental maelstrom. When the last of the dust settled all that remained was a melted and charred expanse of wasteland, stark contrast to the lush green woodland that belonged to Galbadia and surrounded the remnants of Timber.

***

Kylari smirked down on the oblivious Galbadia Garden. Rinoa had been dealt with, the raven-haired sorceress now imprisoned in the tower on Centra, nothing left to her except to wait and act as a vessel in which Kylari could collect the powers of the world's sorceresses. Already she had taken two, a sorceress/priestess hiding in the Centra ruins - right under her nose, of all places to hide! - and a hermit oblivious to the troubles of the world on Cactuar Island. Rinoa already had the earth sorcery - and now also the holy and fire sorceries - and Kylari had the poison sorcery. Edea was, for the moment, safe in Esthar with her water sorcery, and the Trabian shamaness was safe with her ice sorcery amongst the nomadic tribes. Of the other powers, air and lightning, Kylari knew only that the so- called 'Card Queen' had the air sorcery and moved around all over the world with great frequency, and that the lightning sorceress was somewhere in Galbadia.

As the last group of SeeD cadets vanished inside the Garden, Kylari called her powers to her, reaching out to the two great statues at the Garden's entrance. Colour and life rippled through the two harpy-like creatures, a faint dusting of powdered stone drifting to the ground as they stretched their wings for the first time. Keeping her control of them tight, Kylari summoned them from their perches. They obediently rose, leathery wings beating against the air with rhythmic dull thumps.

A satisfied grin on her face, Kylari turned and headed for Galbadia's new capital, the two harpies her escort. President Tieren Deling was about to discover exactly the same thing as his father...

***

New Deling City, formerly known as Wilburn City, was a city still in turmoil. After Deling City's destruction, its population had nearly doubled with the influx of refugees, and when the government offices had set themselves up in a temporary headquarters, it hadn't really dawned on the original inhabitants that they were now Galbadia's capital city. That shock had lasted until General Caraway's assassination, and Tieren Deling's takeover of the government. His first act had been to declare war on Timber and Dollet, diverting the military's power away from himself, but also halting their aid efforts and the construction of housing for those who had been made homeless in the destruction of Deling. His second act had been to rename Wilburn City as New Deling City - demonstrating his inheritance of his father's lack of imagination. When he'd overheard two locals muttering about the change, he had ordered them to be arrested, and made it illegal to call the city by its old name. The locals who fell foul of the law were dispossessed, their property given to politicians whose support Deling needed in government.

After all that it had been through, the last thing New Deling needed was a confrontation between Tieren Deling and the sorceress who had, it was whispered, put him in power. The wiser residents, and a fair number of refugees, had sensibly and discretely vacated the area, heading for relatives elsewhere, or simply heading out into the wilderness, preferring their chances against the local monsters than against a sorceress's displeasure.

But Tieren Deling had neither the option nor the inclination to run. He, like his father before him, was convinced, as the President of Galbadia, that he was more powerful than a sorceress. Certainly, he had owed her a favour thanks to her intervention, in this case the assassination of Caraway, but that favour had been repaid by his attacks on Dollet and Timber. That Dollet had, for reasons still unclear, been destroyed before Galbadian troops got there, and that Timber had been annihilated thanks to the intervention of the sorceress, didn't matter. Had neither event occurred, Galbadian forces would still have prevailed. He had no doubts about that. On the other hand, unlike his father, he wasn't going to blindly trust that the sorceress would keep her end of the deal. He had learned ~something~ from his father's death.

The government had commandeered the largest and grandest of the houses in New Deling, turning the former occupant - actually the mayor of the city - and his family unceremoniously out onto the street. The key feature of the building, as far as Deling was concerned, was the enormous balcony overlooking the plaza - the perfect point for public appearances, or public confrontations. It was there that he chose to make his stand, and to await the sorceress's coming.

***

Kylari approved of the balcony where Tieren awaited her arrival, just as she approved of the large crowd that had gathered below. It was very hard to command a country whose people still believed their President was in power. Her harpies, as she commanded them, flew to nearby rooftops, unseen and unheard, to await her summons. Then she landed, appearing as if out of nowhere to stand before the President of the country that would soon be hers.

A hush swept across the crowd as her presence was noticed, silence falling like a blanket as they stilled, alert for the words that would be exchanged. She felt caught up in the fierce concentration, the attention of the crowd threatening to engulf her completely. It was addictive. It was, she realised, seeing a mirror of her feelings in Deling's eyes, why mortals craved control and power so much. The realisation broke the spell, and suddenly she was herself once more.

"Sorceress Kylari." Tieren Deling addressed her, clearly still enraptured by the crowd's focus. "To what do we owe this visit?" Kylari smirked and stretched, showing off her body to its best advantage, but also signalling to the waiting Harpies. They flew down and landed with loud screeches, sensing that the man before them was to be their victim.

"Were you really so naïve as to believe ~you~ were in power here?" She asked, clicking her tongue and shaking her head in mock chastisement. "You should have learned better from your father's example. Sorceresses do not pull strings from behind the throne, we ~are~ the throne." Deling, to her surprise, merely smiled slightly.

"Oh yes, I learned from my father's example." He clicked his fingers, and three sniper rifles barked a response into the silence of the evening. Only Kylari's sorceress speed saved her from the bullet. The two Harpies were not as quick, and crumpled to the floor, both shot neatly in the head. Kylari laughed, genuinely impressed despite herself.

"Not bad. I might even let you live as a reward for your courage. But did you really think I wouldn't bloody my own hands to kill you?" Deling's slight smile remained unchanged as he silently shook his head.

"That's why there are more snipers - you can't dodge every bullet." Kylari's amusement faded. The problem with humans, she was finding, was that they invariably had no backbone, or too much. They just didn't stop to think before pushing that extra step too far. Did they think that the harder they pushed the more impressed she would be?

"It doesn't work like that." She gestured, and lightning lit up the night, rooftop snipers suddenly finding themselves attracting the bolts with unerring accuracy. "You see, now I shall have to kill you. Otherwise some other heroic idiot might decide to try and kill me. I have better things to do with my time than killing would-be assassin after would-be assassin." She smirked as the smile finally left Tieren Deling's lips. "Besides, if I can hire an assassin to kill one President, what makes you think I won't hire another?" At her gesture, a single shot cracked through the twilight, striking Deling cleanly in the forehead.

As the former Galbadian President crumpled to the ground, Kylari stepped to the balcony, facing the shocked crowd below. They were malleable now, still in shock from the confrontation, open to suggestion and manipulation. How convenient, she mused, that the sorcerer had made such a mess in disposing of the White SeeD, saving her the job in the process.

"People of Galbadia, listen to me! There is a new threat to the world, a threat more potent than Ultemecia, and it is harboured within the ranks of the so-called mercenaries - SeeD!"

***

Not half an hour after Kylari's dramatic takeover of Galbadia's leadership, and her even more dramatic declaration that the world was under threat from a sorcerer within SeeD, straight out naming Squall as said sorcerer, Garden was enduring a deluge of questions and demands from various sources. Most of them, unsurprisingly, were from Galbadia, but as the news and rumours spread like wildfire, a few communications were seeping in from those in Fisherman's Horizon and Trabia. Esthar might have sent communications, but since their blockade prevented answers, there was little point - if they had even heard the news at all. The Shumi were clearly not taking sides either way, they had shut their doors, and were effectively out of the picture. And with all the destruction that had, one way and another, occurred, that meant Fisherman's Horizon, Trabia and Galbadia were the only places left to ask questions.

Still, the problem was not so much the questions, as the answers. Quistis sighed heavily. Squall, who really should have been there for her to ask advice - it was, after all, him they were asking about - was in the infirmary with Ellone, overseeing her treatment, but also, she suspected, hiding from everyone. She'd asked Seifer what was going on and had only received a non-committal grunt in response, making her wonder about the way the sorcerer and his knight were suddenly avoiding each other. None of that, though, told her how to answer the demands for Squall to show himself and answer the accusations being levelled at him. There was no way that they could deny he was a sorcerer, since the fact had been bound to come out sooner or later. It could however, she thought ruefully, have come out better than Kylari disclosing the way the White SeeD had been butchered.

Not that there was any evidence that Squall had been behind that. Which was, at the moment, her only available defence. There were no witnesses and no evidence that Squall had done anything to the White SeeD, and coupled with the fact that the White SeeD had been instrumental in defending Ellone when Ultemecia was hunting for her, there was no motive. Only nine people knew of the White SeeD's link to the Centra cult, and if Kylari revealed that, she would then have to face up to the Centra cult's purpose. Kylari couldn't afford for SeeD, and Squall especially, to appear human - which rushing off in a fury to rescue his sister from an uncertain fate at the hands of a fanatical cult would certainly do.

"How's it goin' Quis?" The blonde SeeD relaxed into her husband's embrace as Zell wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind.

"I...don't know what to say." She admitted. "Squall should be dealing with these, not me." He hugged her closer, leaning to look over her shoulder at the contents of the desk. There was an unenviable stack of messages sitting in front of her, to which she had to reply as soon as possible. The worst of it was, Zell had just come from the communications room, where the printer was still doing overtime printing more messages off.

"Well then, I say we go corner Squall in the infirmary and tell him he can either do them there, or he can come up to his office and deal with them." Quistis' giggle was suddenly cut off by a soft gasp of realisation.

"Zell, does he even ~know~ about Kylari's announcement?" She felt Zell tense. "Oh Hyne. Who's going to tell him?" There was a sigh from her husband.

"Well, considering he and Seifer have fallen out..." Quistis twisted to stare at Zell, gaping in surprise. "Oh, you didn't know that..." She shook her head mutely. "It was the SeeD that started this all off...Garet, that clued me in. Apparently Seifer mentioned he was the last person Squall would want to see when he took the guy up to Squall's office." Quistis groaned, realisation sinking in.

"That means you or me." She felt Zell nod.

"I'll do it." Zell decided, leaning his weight on her shoulders to keep her sitting down. "He needs a short sharp shock to get him out of whatever mood he's in, and you can't deny that I'm the best at blunt." Quistis snorted in amusement. Best at blunt was one way to put it, only good at blunt was another. Not that he couldn't be subtle, but Zell's tendency to blurt out whatever he was thinking at the time did make subtle hard for him. Pressing a kiss to his wife's head, Zell made a show of squaring his shoulders and marching out of the door, hearing her chuckle behind him.

It was only when he was clear of the office that Zell allowed his fear to show. Squall had become more unpredictable than ever, and clearly more dangerous. There was no doubt that if the brunette did something, he would beat himself up about it forever, but now there was the niggling worry that ~something~ might actually happen. That was new, and that was scaring the hell out of Zell. But there was no going back now. It was him, or it was Quistis.

Taking a deep breath, Zell went to face the lion.

***

Under different circumstances, Dr Kadowaki might have succeeded in her attempts to turf Squall out of the infirmary, sorcerer SeeD Commander or not. However, with Ellone pleading that he be allowed to stay, and with Squall equally determined to stay, the doctor had reluctantly realised that either they both stayed in the infirmary, or they both went elsewhere. Thus, when Zell appeared with a pensive look on his face, Dr Kadowaki waved him into Ellone's room almost eagerly, recognising that the blond needed Squall for something. Zell, on his part, would have been just as happy if Dr Kadowaki had firmly told him that he couldn't go in.

Ellone was asleep, that much registered in Zell's mind before he felt the edge of a gunblade resting lightly at his throat.

"Sorry." He heaved a sigh of relief as Squall muttered the apology, taking Lionheart away from the blond's neck and sheathing it once more.

"Hyne Squall." Zell heard himself saying, mouth once again operating on auto-pilot. "You really think you're going to be attacked in here?" Somehow Squall's glare seemed lacking something. It wasn't quite as cold, as certain as it usually was. The effect was enhanced by the way Squall ran a hand through already ruffled brown hair.

"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." The quiet admission rocked Zell's world to the core. Squall, fearless, determined Squall, was hesitant, uncertain and afraid. Zell licked his lips, uncertain - more now than before - how the brunette would take news of Kylari's declaration. Squall sighed heavily, and seemed to pull himself together once more. "What was it you wanted Zell?"

"Uh...Kylari's taken over Galbadia, and Timber's been destroyed." Squall's expression barely changed. Zell swallowed, briefly checking that his route to the door was unimpeded. "Kylari's told the world about you...and the White SeeD." Squall's eyes darkened, then just as suddenly lightened to their normal hue, the brunette letting out a soft sigh of resignation.

"It was bound to happen, sooner or later." He muttered, more to himself than Zell.

"The thing is," Zell continued, deciding that he might as well get everything out in the open whilst Squall didn't seem inclined to violence, "Quistis needs to know how to respond to all the demands and queries we're getting." Squall closed his eyes for a moment, then stood, leaning to press a hand against Ellone's forehead.

"Respond however you need to, Garden's safety is the key factor. You can even deny knowing until the White SeeD incident." Zell gaped.

"But...there's no evidence tying you to the White SeeD!" He exclaimed. Squall looked at him, just looked, but Zell found himself automatically taking a step towards the doorway.

"Me decet (1) - I deserve it." The brunette stated quietly. Turning back to Ellone, Squall gently picked her up, cradling her form against his chest. "You and Quistis are in charge of Garden now." Zell blinked as the brunette, for the second time in as many hours, vanished. Turning towards the door, he half expected Seifer to come charging in, but the older blond remained conspicuous in his absence. Shrugging, Zell decided to head back to Quistis. He had, after all, gotten her answers.

***

"...said we're in charge of Garden now." Zell's voice coming from Quistis's office attracted Seifer's attention. He'd been looking for either of the two, but finding them together was just as good.

"I wouldn't worry Chickenwuss." He announced, sauntering in without knocking. "He'll be back sooner or later." Quistis looked relieved, although Zell still looked uncertain.

"But, what he was saying..." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"Was completely unlike him. Right?" Zell nodded. "Don't worry. He'll brood for a while, put Ellone somewhere safe, with people he trusts, and then he'll be back." It felt weird, reassuring two people he'd normally be teasing.

"How can you be so sure Seifer?" That was Quistis, still asking the logical questions, still trying to find reassurance in logic when it was a pure faith thing.

"Because I'm still..."

AN: hehehe *smirks* well, ~something~ happened ;) RxR!! - no more chapters until at least one person reviews - which has already happened *grins* Everyone thank Rei the Wind Spirit and Storm Angel :) The story continues!

(1) Me decet - Latin, basically 'it is fitting for me' or, as Squall says after it, 'I deserve it'.


	10. Stormclouds Gathering

AN: And the cliffhanger is resolved :)

momba_night_Advenger: LOL! But cliffhangers make sure you keep reading - and inspire you to review ;p Thanks for commenting!

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Ten ~ Stormclouds Gathering**

The night passed restlessly for the upper echelon of SeeD, and especially so for Quistis and Zell. One moment Seifer had been reassuring them both that Squall would be back, because he, Seifer, was still there. The next, Seifer had been gone. It was the shock of his sudden disappearance as much as the implications the disappearance held that kept them awake.

For Zell it was concern. Although he would never admit it out loud, he had come to think of Seifer as a friend, even approving of his relationship with Squall after seeing how the brunette had become more open. Of course, Squall was still Squall, and he was still quiet and cold, but he would actually go as far as laughing if a joke was particularly amusing. Now though, he was gone, Hyne knew where - although he had a pretty good idea - and Zell had no idea if the brunette were in trouble or not. It was hard to go rushing to someone's aid when you didn't know if they needed it. He just had to hope that Seifer would be enough backup for the brunette, and promise to himself that if anything happened to Squall, Seifer had better be dead, or Zell would see that he was.

For Quistis it was the realisation that Squall and Seifer were gone, and likely not returning. She was faced with the prospect of landing with Squall's job. Once upon a time, before Ultemecia, when she had gained her Instructor's licence and realised she ~could~ rise through the ranks, she might have jumped for joy at the situation. But now... She had seen the amount of work that Squall had to do each day, and she had wondered just how the brunette managed to cope with it all, and still find time to eat, sleep, train and, surreptitiously, manage to say hi to his closer friends.

No doubt some of the work could be delegated, and, Quistis decided, staring at the darkened ceiling of her and Zell's room, most of it would have to be. There was no way she could deal with all the messages - still pouring in - ~and~ deal with everyday Garden affairs. Not to mention that she would have to announce Squall's departure to the Garden, deal with the aftermath of that, and then inform Galbadia Garden of the situation. Mulling over names in her mind, Quistis began to make a mental list of the SeeDs available to help, and the tasks for which they would be best suited.

***

However the rumours started, by breakfast it was known throughout Balamb Garden that both Seifer and Squall had vanished. Fortunately the fact that they were unlikely to return remained unknown, or at least unspoken. It was clear that an announcement was needed, but with Quistis eyeball deep in diplomatic responses to the stacks of messages received, that task fell to Zell. Disdaining the tannoy system, the blond instead calmly announced a meeting in the second floor ballroom - the only room in Garden large enough to hold, although it would be a tight fit, all of the SeeDs and students in Garden.

The turnout was complete. Well, almost. The SeeDs in the top two ranks had already been briefed the evening before, and they were currently covering such vital tasks as monitoring communications.

"Ahem." The feedback from the microphone made Zell wince and curse inwardly, but it attracted the attention of the gathered crowd far more effectively than his tentative cough. The murmur of conversation ceased, and Zell, like Kylari when she had faced Tieren Deling, felt the force of over a hundred attentive stares. Wondering again how Quistis had gotten him to agree to it, Zell cleared his throat - genuinely this time - and addressed the crowd.

"I'm sure by now most of you have heard the rumours." There were a few mutters of assent, nods and quick whispers of speculation between the groups standing together. "Yes, Commander Leonhart," and how weird did it feel calling Squall that, "has left Garden, along with Seifer Almasy." Uncertain mutters at that, some glad to have Seifer gone, others not so sure. With the rumours of Squall being a sorcerer, of course people had stopped and re-examined the relationship between him and Seifer, a confirmed ex-knight. It was no surprise that the two had been paired together, especially after the truth about Squall's sexual orientation had come out in that argument between the two. An argument that was two years in the past, and yet vividly fresh in his memory.

"Yes, it is also true that Commander Leonhart is a sorcerer, and that Seifer Almasy is his knight." That was a bit of an ad lib, straying from the script as usual when his mind wandered. Not that it mattered too much. The Garden had suspected for long enough that anyone uncomfortable, beyond the point of being able to deal with the idea of Squall being a sorcerer, should already have left. That Seifer was his knight, well, it was only fair that they be told now, rather than having it sprung on them later, when lack of time to absorb the fact might make a crucial difference.

"Until they return..." Don't let them know we think they've gone for good, Quistis had warned him sternly. She had no need to iterate the possible consequences. It would be hard enough holding Garden and SeeD together without Squall present, nigh on impossible if there wasn't the hope of the brunette returning to cling to. "Until they return, Quistis Trepe and myself will be in charge. If you have any problems, any questions, you can ask any SeeD rank 30 or A - they know as much as we do." Which wasn't, Zell thought to himself, a hell of a lot. The only thing they ~didn't~ know, was that neither Zell nor Quistis expected Squall back anytime soon.

"What about the White SeeD?" The question was shouted from the anonymity of the back of the crowd, the questioner known only to those around him. It was the question that Zell wasn't sure he'd wanted asked or not. Certainly it made the topic of the White SeeD easier to broach, but the topic in itself wasn't an easy one. That was probably why Quistis had shrugged, trusting him to wing it if the question ~was~ asked.

"You all know about Ellone Loire, how she and Commander Leonhart are half-siblings." He paused, letting that information sink in, letting those who ~didn't~ know about Ellone be brought up to speed by their more knowledgeable neighbours. When the room finally quietened again, he continued. "We discovered yesterday evening that the White SeeD were a semi-independent branch of a cult dedicated to the eradication of sorcerers, and anyone related to them." The silence deepened, most jumping to the correct conclusion before it was stated. "And we also discovered that they had Ellone, and knew she was related to a sorcerer." The silence broke as angry murmurs spread across the room. Straining his ears to catch the conversations closest to him, Zell was relieved to find that the general sentiment seemed to fully support Squall in his actions.

"Has this got anything to do with the attack on Trabia?" The room suddenly stilled, as did Zell. He'd expected someone to, maybe, connect the cult with rumours of Laguna's death, or for someone to ask about the attacks on Esthar and Deling. He'd forgotten, in the midst of unfolding events, that Balamb Garden was, for the first time, running at full capacity, and that all those previously empty spaces had been filled by the survivors of the attack on Trabia Garden. So how to answer? Squall, undoubtedly, knew why Kylari had attacked Trabia - fortunately, in a bizarre twist of events, inflicting minimum casualties, although still too many - but Squall wasn't there. Seifer might also have known, but again, he wasn't there.

"Uh, well..." He fumbled for words, an explanation that made sense without raising too many more questions. "We know the attack on Trabia was carried out by a sorceress, the same sorceress that took control of Galbadia yesterday. We don't know for certain, but we suspect she may have had links with the cult. Whether the attack on Trabia was a part of the sorceress's plans or the cult's plans, we don't know." Barely refraining from crossing his fingers, Zell prayed that the silence would last long enough for him to call an end and dismiss everyone.

"Why haven't we done anything about the sorceress?" An angry female voice called, startling murmurs of agreement from the assembly and dismissing his hopes of ending the meeting. At least this question he could answer honestly, and brutally.

"We have. All fifteen of SeeD's top ranking snipers were to aid Tieren Deling when the sorceress confronted him last night. There were no survivors." Zell let his gaze sweep across the room, noticing those areas where people suddenly realised that their friends, called away on an urgent mission only days before, were not returning. But there was more, and he didn't give the crowd time to regain their balance before striking the hardest blow. "One of those fifteen betrayed SeeD and joined the sorceress. He assassinated Tieren Deling, and was then publicly executed by the sorceress this morning." Horribly executed, in fact. But there was no need to go into details, not with the junior classmen present. He let them mutter for a while, waited until quiet began to fall again. He had their full attention now, had raised their protectiveness and empathy for Squall's position, and had both cautioned and threatened them with the horrible reality of Kylari's threat. Now was the most important moment, because whatever he said next, they would not forget. They could not ~afford~ to forget - for Garden's sake.

"As far as the rest of the world is concerned, yes, Commander Leonhart is a sorcerer. ~But~ we ~did not~ discover until he had left. There is no evidence linking him to the White SeeD, and until there is, Garden has no opinion ~either~ way as to what happened. ~Officially~ we are arguing in support of the Commander, but with an open mind - Galbadia will not be swayed as long as the sorceress is in control, but the remaining nations must be reassured." He waited a moment, letting that sink in, knowing that most of the SeeDs would automatically have memorised his words. For those that hadn't however... "If ~anyone~ asks you a question, and you're not sure how much you can say, say you know ~nothing~. That applies to you junior classmen especially." The murmurs of dissent he'd been expecting didn't materialise, apparently even the youngest realising that the situation was ~that~ serious. "Dismissed."

The ballroom emptied in silence, a fact that made Zell shiver. He glanced at his watch, astonished to find that he'd been talking for almost an hour. An hour...that made it almost lunch! Perking up slightly, Zell headed for the cafeteria. A hotdog was just the cure- all and general pick-me-up he needed...

***

Quistis had finally bitten the bullet and placed a call to Galbadia Garden. To be honest, she was surprised that Xu hadn't already called Balamb, since Galbadia Garden had probably heard Kylari's announcement first. Then again, Xu was probably attempting to keep the Garden's profile as low as possible...

"Quistis?" Or maybe she simply hadn't wanted to risk calling Squall for herself. Quistis realised, belatedly, that the messages from the night before, and that morning, were still being replied to. Apparently Galbadia Garden hadn't yet heard of Squall and Seifer's disappearance.

"Xu." She responded neutrally, trying to think how to break into the topic at hand. It was somewhat awkward, considering that Xu had first been her SeeD Instructor, then a co-worker of the same rank, albeit senior. Now they were both, temporarily, of equal rank, but Quistis, in Balamb, had the greater power as the leader of the more prestigious Garden.

"I...I expected Squall would have made an official announcement by now." Quistis grimaced, slightly surprised by the hesitation in Xu's words.

"I'll be making an official announcement early this afternoon. Squall and Seifer left Garden with Ellone after Kylari's announcement. We're still trying to trace them." The brunette in charge of Galbadia Garden sucked in a surprised hiss of air.

"It's true then, what she said about Squall being a sorcerer." Quistis nodded.

"I need to know what Galbadia Garden's stance is going to be over this. I doubt the sorceress will, publicly, believe that Squall has left the Garden." The warning was clear. The sorceress ~was~ going to push Galbadia into a war against Garden, and Galbadia Garden would have to make their allegiance clear, one way or another. Xu's face hardened.

"Don't worry, the G-Garden is already on the move. We're heading to FH for now, but we're with Balamb Garden, and Squall, on this one." Quistis's surprise must have shown on her face, because the brunette sighed and launched into an explanation. "Kylari has some sort of a witch hunt going on - for sorceresses. The last we heard, the Card Queen had been captured in Winhill - the town was burnt to the ground and its inhabitants slaughtered because they tried to hide her." Xu shrugged. "Now she's got a militia with her, and is working her way across Galbadia, searching for another sorceress at my guess. The only thing is, she's leaving nothing alive behind her."

"So why the hell aren't the Galbadians fighting back?" Quistis asked, shocked by Xu's news. The brunette looked at her sadly.

"Because they've seen what happens when they oppose her." She shuddered. "We have a few refugees in the Garden, people who lived on the coast North of where Deling City used to be. Kylari is working from the East to the West, probably so whoever she's looking for can't escape with any ease."

"What about the Garden? How will you avoid her?" Xu grinned.

"We're just off the point of the Island Closest to Hell - an apt name at the minute. Our next destination will be the Humphrey Archipelago, and from there we'll run the gauntlet between Galbadia and Centra to Nanchucket Island. That'll be the riskiest part of the journey, but it should be doable. From there we'll head to FH." Quistis thought about arguing that heading for Esthar - and then the long journey around the North of Esthar and Trabia, through the narrow pass between Trabia and Winter Island, picking up the Galbadian Garden Fleet as an escort South to Balamb - would be safer. But really, if Kylari decided to go after Galbadia Garden, as she had Trabia Garden, nowhere was safe. And by Xu's route the Garden might pick up a few more survivors...

"All right. Well, good luck." Quistis wished she didn't feel like this was the last time the two of them would talk.

"Oh, wait!" Xu looked startled for a moment, suddenly remembering something. "I've ordered the Fleet to head for Balamb - they should be there in a couple of hours. You'll need them if Galbadia launches an invasion force towards you." Quistis nodded, making a note on the pad of paper nearby.

"Thanks Xu. Good fortune and a sure aim go with you." She saluted, the feeling that they would never talk again growing as Xu grinned, the expression almost manic.

"And if they don't, by Hyne we'll go down fighting!" The brunette returned, saluting even as she cut the connection.

***

Quistis kept the official announcement short and to the point. Yes, Squall was a sorcerer, but he was no longer at Garden, and they had not discovered that he was a sorcerer until he had left. They had seen, however, no evidence that Squall was responsible for the deaths of the White SeeD. Slyly, Quistis paused at that point, and then, oh so casually, mentioned the destruction of Timber and Dollet, whom Galbadia had declared war against. The intimation that Kylari was attempting to pass off her own destruction onto others was clear. No mention was made of Seifer being Squall's knight - too many people still harboured resentment against the blond for the events during Ultemecia's rule of Galbadia - and no mention of Trabia and Galbadia Garden, currently the only two factions who had pledged their wholehearted support.

Announcement made, the whole of Balamb Garden could only sit back and wait, hoping that it would be enough, that the still-neutral areas would realise what was really going on, the stakes really involved, and would join them against the sorceress...

***

The first, and most obvious, statement of support came from Balamb Town. Whilst the Mayor had wavered between support and neutrality, the Galbadian Garden Fleet had arrived offshore, prompting a fervent display of support from the townspeople that really left the Mayor with no other choice but to officially support Garden.

The second, slightly surprising and also most grudging, statement of support came from Fisherman's Horizon, late in the afternoon. Galbadia Garden had, apparently, made a surprisingly fast journey, and their arrival at FH had, like the Fleet's arrival off Balamb, left the Mayor of FH with little choice but to support Garden's cause. Of course, they had included the proviso that their support was purely pacifistic - they would repair the Gardens, supply them with whatever items and food were needed, and the town could provide, but they would not fight.

Trabia and Galbadia Garden's support was merely official confirmation of what Balamb Garden already knew.

As for the Shumi and Esthar... The communications SeeDs were certain that the Shumi were listening to the officially broadcast messages, and also commented that they would be surprised if Esthar wasn't. But neither the Shumi nor Esthar made any response. Esthar, of course, were also, if they ~were~ receiving incoming messages, ignoring all of Garden's repeated queries about Squall, Seifer and Ellone.

And that was how the situation remained as Garden settled down for, in many cases, another restless night. A line of allied resistance stretched thin before a very tangible enemy, and with a large question mark at their backs.

***

"I've got it!" Zell exclaimed, dropping a hotdog back onto his plate in his excitement, still staring at the table where two SeeDs had just exchanged GF orbs. Quistis groaned and took another long swallow of her black coffee. She, by her own estimates, had gotten just over four hours sleep the night before, what with worrying about how to contact Squall or Seifer, or even Esthar, and worrying about what should be done next. Zell, again by her estimates, hadn't even got that - maybe three, three and a half hours at the most. There was no way ~anyone~ could convince her that his having such energy was right, or fair. And there was no way she was getting involved in whatever harebrained scheme her husband had cooked up now.

"Quis! Quis?" An already-gloved hand was waved before her face. Quistis looked up, knowing that she'd probably regret it forever... A wide grin bloomed across her husband's face as she looked at him. "C'mon! I think I figured out..." He trailed off, glancing around the cafeteria, suddenly wary of being overheard. "How to contact...~them~." He finished, exuberance no less, but volume much diminished. The world, still foggy as her sleep-deprived mind attempted to decide whether it was awake or still asleep, snapped into focus as she realised who Zell meant.

"You're sure?" She hissed, placing the cup of coffee back on the tray. He nodded, already half out of his seat, gesturing for her to hurry up. With a regretful frown at her, as yet untouched, breakfast, Quistis stood, following at a more dignified pace as Zell bolted from the cafeteria.

Not entirely to her surprise, she caught up with him outside the cafeteria, where he'd paused to finish the hotdog he'd snatched from his plate. Ruefully she realised that she ~could~ have brought a piece of fruit with her, but it was too late now. Given Zell's determination to drag her Hyne knew where, he was unlikely to pause long enough for her to go back, if the serving staff hadn't already descended on their table and cleared it.

"Come ~on~." He muttered impatiently, as if it wasn't him who'd held them up by stopping to eat a hotdog. Grabbing her hand, Zell broke into a jog, forcing her to match his pace or be dragged through the Garden in front of the student body. Refraining from comment, Quistis lengthened her stride, breaking into a lope, and praising the stretchy material of her skirt.

"~Where~ are we going? And ~why~?" She demanded, once Zell had steered them into the elevator and punched in the code for the third floor.

"Outer office terminal." Zell answered succinctly. "I think we might be able to use the GFs to contact Squall or Seifer." Quistis blinked. She hadn't considered using the GFs as messengers, but now she did it made a kind of sense. After all, if it was possible to have a GF materialise and fight, as Seifer had done with Cerberus - she couldn't hold back the smirk remembering that, the 'shortest fight against a GF on record', imagine, a GF with a phobia of whips! - then it might be possible to have a GF carry a message. They could, and did, talk with their owners and amongst themselves.

"So we need someone with perfect compatibility." Zell nodded, waiting impatiently for the doors to open. "But hardly anyone uses GFs with enough regularity to have that." Quistis frowned. Compatibility statistics were kept on record, but they could easily be out of date. GFs could be notoriously fickle like that. Ifrit had fallen out with Seifer for a week after being summoned on a mission in Trabia.

"I think..." Zell admitted hesitantly. "That one of the Trabian students has Carbuncle." He paused, typing in his SeeD ID and password on the terminal. "You remember, the one who collared Squall and told him to make sure Selphie was OK or else..." His voice faded as the memories of Selphie, and that moment, were overwhelmed by the stark knowledge that Selphie was now dead. In the end, Squall hadn't been able to make sure she was OK. Quistis's hand on his shoulder was comforting, supporting, but it also drew him back to the task at hand.

***

"You want me to do ~what~?" The Trabian girl's face screwed up in confusion. Zell sighed in the background, glad Quistis had taken the lead in attempting to explain what had to be done. She was only a cadet really, and shouldn't even have had Carbuncle, but apparently in all the confusion, no one had done anything about it. Fortunate, considering the circumstances, since she was the only person on record with perfect compatibility with their GF.

"You know how to summon a GF, correct?" The girl nodded. "All you have to do to talk to the GF is to catch it's attention - which you do before summoning, right?" The confusion began to clear.

"So, I catch his attention, and then what?"

"Then you ask if he would carry a message for us. To Commander Leonhart." The girl paled, suddenly realising that she was being involved in something that was most likely top-secret.

"O-okay..." She stammered, looking more scared than confused now.

"It's alright." Quistis reassured her. "Consider this your SeeD Exam." The blonde had taken the time to review the girl's file, discovering that she had been one of those who had been completing their prerequisite when Trabia had been attacked. There was no reason the girl shouldn't be given a SeeD rank, especially considering the likelihood that most of the cadets would be given SeeD rank to fill the empty positions of casualties in any fighting that took place. Determination now showing clearly, the girl saluted, and then reached out for her GF...

***

Seifer felt the mental push before the tortured cry, neither aimed at him this time, but at another presence, hovering nearby. He reached out himself, gaining the impression of a GF and hurt/scared feelings, then it was gone, fled before Squall could attack again.

Seifer called, feeling the GF hovering slightly further away, presumably just outside Squall's personal space, as he was.  The draconic GF snorted in his mind.

The GF sniffed, slightly pompously.  Seifer blinked.

The blond frowned, wondering who had Carbuncle if they had perfect compatibility. A Trabian cadet if he remembered right. The frown deepened. But who were they to have such compatibility with Selphie's old GF?

Hades interrupted Seifer's thoughts.  Hades statement was all the warning Seifer had.

Instantly Seifer knew the conversation was going to be a strain. Along with the single word question were a barrage of images of himself and things that represented him. Hyperion, the ruins of the first Trabia Garden, Edea possessed by Ultemecia, Adel with Rinoa partially absorbed into her...

Concentrating, Seifer managed to send back the more positive images, Hyperion, himself with Squall.  He sent an image of a formless person holding a GF orb, the orb with a glowing link to the GF's presence.

The response was mainly images, all suffused with a feeling of belonging and companionship, a short Trabian girl with long brown hair, the same girl talking to someone Seifer recognised all too well. Selphie Tilmett. So, the cadet was, or had been, Selphie's friend. That explained the compatibility. But surely she hadn't decided to contact Squall through Carbuncle on her own. It wasn't until you'd achieved SeeD rank and taken advanced GF control lessons - or a brief spell as a knight - that you learned about talking to them, using them as messengers or summoning them to appear and lie in wait for an enemy.

The imagery was complex, and Seifer was suddenly grateful to Ultemecia for making him practise and practise until he could almost hold a conversation with images alone. He sent a series of images, placing the GF's own image of its owner into his query image for the owner's identity, expanding that image within a formless room and adding different numbers of formless people. He didn't think there would be more than four or five, but it depended on where they were.

An odd description to come back, and ambiguous as well. Friends of the GF, or friends of its owner? Seifer stared at the image accompanying the word. Only two people, in a office - the third floor office, Quistis and Zell. Well, well, well. Either Quistis had remembered her training in GF use, or Zell had randomly thought up something that was plausible enough to be tried.

He dismissed Carbuncle, colouring the words with gratitude. The GF's presence faded.  Seifer began to explain what he wanted the GF to do, feeling the dragon's amusement as his plans unfolded.

AN: heh, cutting an already-long chapter short ;) Several things gained a life of their own and ran off in this chapter, mainly Zell doing the briefing, and Seifer talking to Carbuncle *growls* - just because I didn't want the little blighter going completely Japanese on me (Seifer-sama etc.), didn't mean I wanted him to stop speaking almost completely *glares at muses*


	11. A Hopeless War

AN: Just what ~did~ happen when Seifer vanished? And what's going on with Squall?

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Eleven ~ A Hopeless War**

The Trabian girl jumped slightly, the only indication that Carbuncle had returned from his errand. A shadow passed over her face, and she frowned worriedly.

"I...he wasn't successful." She admitted. "Someone pushed him away and hurt his feelings." Zell groaned and hid his face in his hands. Of all the messengers they were lumbered with, it had to be a temperamental one. Quistis frowned.

"Will he try again?" The cadet's gaze glazed over for a moment, and then she slowly shook her head.

"I don't think so. I can't even sense him now."

"Damn." Zell muttered after a long pause. "Now what do we do?"

"We could try waiting for a while, let Carbuncle calm down and then try again maybe?" Quistis glanced at the cadet, noticing as the girl shook her head slightly, frowning. "No?" The girl looked up, surprised.

"Uh, no. I just, kinda like a buzz in my mind." She twitched again. "Sorry. Guess maybe Carbuncle's not too happy?" Quistis and Zell exchanged glances. Angry GFs tended to sulk, but a buzz in the mind... Laguna had described the sensation of Squall's mind in his as 'sort of like a humming, buzz kinda thing...'.

The thought drifted through her mind just as it registered that the two SeeDs were worried.

***

The only warning they had was the way the cadet's eyes rolled back, showing only the whites, and then, just as suddenly, rolled forwards again. She looked sharply at them both, a familiar smirking frown on her face.

"Well, Instructor, Chickenwuss - what do you want?"

***

Zell, who had been leaning back in a chair, rocking back on two legs, promptly lost his balance, toppling over backwards with a loud crash. The smirk on the cadet's face deepened.

"Seifer?" Quistis asked, incredulously, echoed by Zell as he scrambled to his feet.

"The one and only." He answered, absently crossing the cadet's right leg over her left and folding her arms. "Now, what the hell do you want?" Zell gaped, mouth working silently. They hadn't really thought beyond actually contacting either Squall or Seifer.

"Report." Quistis finally decided. The cadet rolled her eyes, but Seifer deigned to comment.

"Squall teleported himself and Ellone to Esthar, and then dragged me along for the ride." That was the simple version of events anyway. There was no way in hell he was voluntarily mentioning that he had ended the sentence that he'd been in the middle of, nose to hook with a hat stand. Or the fact that, had Squall not spared him a moment's thought, he would've appeared, fully clothed, in the middle of Esthar's public baths.

"I ~knew~ you were in Esthar." Zell exclaimed, looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Yeah?" Seifer growled. "Then I'll inform the Estharian Comm. Tech. That you're the one to blame for the twice-hourly repeating message that we've told him to ignore." Zell swallowed, suddenly apprehensive. "And as for sending a GF ~directly~..." The cadet looked disgusted. "Who the hell had ~that~ priceless idea?"

"Um...me?" Zell responded tentatively. The cadet rolled her eyes again.

"Figures." Quistis frowned.

"Why did the GF get pushed away Seifer? Who blocked it?" The blonde found herself on the receiving end of a second-hand Almasy glare, which suddenly relented. Just as suddenly the cadet had uncrossed her legs and was standing, back to them, her arms still folded.

"Ellone committed suicide last night." The words struck them like a blow. "Apparently one of the White SeeD gave her a suicide pill, in case Kylari came for her and they couldn't stop her." As if Squall hadn't been beating himself up over their deaths already, now he had new cause to doubt whether they would actually have harmed her. "She left a note, something about the future demanding a sacrifice. Squall..." The cadet took a deep breath. "I think Squall knows what she was talking about."

"How's he coping?" Seifer didn't know whether to laugh or scream at the question, so he did neither, settling for anger instead.

"How the fuck do you think he's coping?" In typical Squall fashion really - he wasn't, but he was refusing to admit it. He's locked himself in his room, and is refusing to come out, whilst he systematically beats himself up over this - and everything else he thinks he's responsible for, Seifer thought, furiously. The cadet shrugged. "He'll brood and beat himself up for a while, and then he'll find something to fight until he feels she's been revenged. You know Squall."

"Yeah, we know Squall." Zell responded, taking a menacing step closer, a gesture lost on the cadet's back. "We're his ~friends~. Tell us the truth." The cadet turned, facing them at last, her angry countenance at odds with the tear trails on her cheeks.

"The truth?" Seifer hissed. "The truth is that he's completely isolated himself. The truth is that this is the last straw. The truth..." The cadet, who had been bristling with Seifer's anger, suddenly deflated, seeming smaller, weaker. "The truth is, I don't know if he can piece himself back together." Silence fell, Seifer's weighty admission too grave an indicator of the seriousness of the situation for even Zell to comment.

"We could... One of us could..." Quistis stumbled to a halt, not sure ~what~ they could do, but determined to make the offer. This time Seifer did laugh. A short, sarcastic bark of laughter that was in no way amused.

"Yeah, one of you could come out here. And do what? Even ~I~ can't get close to him."

"But, ~we're~ his friends. We fought with him against Ultemecia. We know what he's gone through - we went through it too." Zell argued stubbornly.

"His ~friends~." Seifer repeated, mocking. The cadet's face twisted into a snarl. "I'm his ~knight~, his ~lover~. You don't have a ~clue~ what Squall's gone through, what he's going through. Oh, Quistis might have a faint idea of how it feels to lose someone." The cadet glanced pointedly from Quistis to Zell, reminding them of how Squall had brought Zell's soul back. "But not permanently." He wasn't going to mention how Ellone had managed to manipulate both himself and Squall so that the brunette wouldn't realise she was dead until too late. Even so, he'd half killed himself trying to find her, bring her back as he had Zell, and only Seifer's forceful intervention had stopped the brunette from becoming permanently lost in the grey lands between life and death. An awkward silence fell, lingered, barely disturbed by the sound of Zell's feet as the blond shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry." Zell finally muttered. Seifer snorted, the cadet tossing her head, and the spell was broken.

"So what was so urgent?" Somewhat subdued, Quistis gave him a brief rundown of events both official and unofficial.

"He's coming back, isn't he Seifer? You're both coming back." The cadet turned away, shrugging again.

"I...don't know. He might come back and you'll regret it. He might just give up again and decide that Esthar's as good a place as any to wait for the end. I don't know what he'll do - until he does it."

"But, he's planning ~something~, right?" The cadet winced, unseen, Zell's words reminding Seifer of the innocent question that had led to his and Squall's almighty argument only two days before. Zell waited, watching the cadet closely. Seifer didn't respond.

"Seifer?" Quistis queried gently. The cadet shuddered suddenly, looking around in confusion before turning, her expression one of sheer terror.

"W-what's going on? Everything just went black... How did I get over here?"

Seifer was gone.

***

Having calmed the Trabian cadet down long enough to discover that she remembered nothing of Seifer's possession, told her that, under the circumstances, she'd handled herself well and could expect an official graduation certificate in the next few days, and sent her back off to her classes, Quistis and Zell finally had a chance to stop and evaluate what they had learned.

Ellone was dead. Squall was ~not~ coping well, and Seifer was equally troubled.

Under the circumstances it was probably best that most of Garden had decided the two were off conducting top-secret negotiations with...someone. Zell, remembering Seifer's crack about the Estharian Comm. Tech., sent an order to the communications room telling them to cease the transmissions to Esthar regarding Squall and Seifer. And then... Then there was just the silence, and the silent wondering of what would happen now. Their leader was, effectively, gone. They had no real plans, no real idea about what they were doing, what they were fighting. There wasn't even a team out in the field, fighting whatever there was to fight, doing what they could to stop events from reaching their terrifying conclusion.

"The wind's getting up." Zell commented absently, needing something, anything to fill the silence. Quistis looked up from her observation of the carpet, seeing swag-bellied clouds scudding past. Rain maybe, or a thunderstorm sweeping in.

"It's been windy for days." She agreed, wondering if there was a big cyclone coming. How long since the last cyclone? Five, six years? They'd only just really started to recover from the chaos of Ultemecia. Hyne, it had to be six years. She wondered if they'd already started storm preparations in Balamb Town. Maybe they should send someone to check. But they hadn't had any warning from the weather radar, so maybe it was just a gale. It might have blown over come morning.

The silence fell again.

***

Kylari was happy. Almost all of Kylari was happy - which was a rare occurrence with five different personalities to appease. Of course, only three personalities were truly happy. Of the other two, one didn't care either way, and the other was most definitely disapproving. But that didn't matter. The majority of Kylari was happy, and most importantly, the dominant personality - Kylari - was happy. Happy enough, in fact, that she might even have described it as ecstatic.

The reason for Kylari's happiness was currently unconscious and cradled in the sorceress's arms. Another sorceress, dressed in the traditional garb of the nomadic tribes that roamed Galbadia. Long Wendigo hide robes, decorated with Cockatrice feathers and strings of Thrustaevis claws. Her hair was long and dark, streaked white with age and magic use. The headdress she had worn was long since gone, lost sometime during the fight against Kylari's forces and Kylari herself. Her fight hadn't been entirely futile, Kylari's right arm sporting a long burn where she hadn't managed to deflect a spear of lightning in time.

Kylari didn't care. She had won, and any pain from the burn was easily ignored. She'd felt so much worse in her past. A cruel smirk twisted her face as she flew through the wall of the Centra tower into the room where Rinoa awaited. The raven-haired sorceress, as she had started to do, began cursing immediately, attempting to free herself from the stone chair into which she had been partially absorbed. Her powers were locked safely inside the chair, and the tower itself, preventing Rinoa from attacking her captor, but also ensuring that she could not refuse the powers released when a sorceress died within the tower's confining walls.

Without ceremony, and forgoing her usual routine of torture, not even waking the unconscious sorceress, Kylari snapped the Galbadian's neck. Instantly the sorceress's corpse began to glow, her powers gathering together and leaving in a flood of electric sparks that were absorbed by Rinoa's vocally protesting form. The protests turned into a scream as the powers embedded themselves firmly in their new host, the raven-haired sorceress writhing in pain. Kylari sniggered and turned away, unconcerned at leaving her vessel alone. Rinoa was helpless, pathetic and weak despite all the power that she now contained. Her harsh, panting breaths were left behind as Kylari stepped back through the tower wall, flying easily to stand atop it. Clouds were gathering on the horizon, and though the air where she stood was still and dead, Kylari knew she would be flying against a headwind to leave. Fortunately that headwind would not become a serious hindrance until the very end, and then it wouldn't matter.

With a joyous cackle of mad laughter, Kylari took to the air once more. It was time to have some fun...

***

Edea woke with a start, alert to the presence of something, ~someone~, but not able to identify who or what. To her left Nida blinked wide, hazel eyes at her, sensing whatever she did, but likewise unable to put a name to it. After a long minute of inactivity, she began to relax, dismissing the sensation as the remnant of a dream. Nida, however, rose from his bed, still trailing a drip, and began pulling on clothes, easily removing the IV and its needle when it hampered his movements.

He only had his trousers on when the woman walked into the room, but instantly he was between the intruder - clearly ~not~ a doctor - and Edea, weaponless except for his bare hands and feet. The sorceress, for she could really be nothing else given her clothing and demeanour, stopped instantly and bowed deeply towards them both. Nida heard the icicles - which should have been impossible in Esthar's summer heat - chime softly against one another where they dangled from her headdress.

"Sorceress of water, cousin of sorcery, I give you greeting." Edea acknowledged her with a short nod, silently calling Nida to her side. "I am come to give you that which is mine to give. Do you accept?" Confused by the woman's mannerisms, and still groggy with sleep, Edea nodded again. The woman smiled broadly, then, to Edea and Nida's horror, pulled out a long knife, and before they could do anything to stop her, plunged it into her chest. She convulsed once, the smile never wavering, and died. Nida and Edea stared at her in horror, looking at each other briefly before the power gathering around the sorceress's body attracted their attention once more.

As the shards of icy power entered Edea's slim form, causing her to hiss in pain, both she and her knight wondered what had prompted the other sorceress's sacrifice...

***

"Ma'am! The Galbadian army has been sighted!" Xu closed her eyes and nodded, dismissing the messenger even as she fought for control and composure. In truth she'd been expecting Kylari to send someone, or something, after them, but she had expected the attack to come as they manoeuvred between Galbadia and Centra - literally between a rock and a hard place. Kylari, it seemed, had decided to be patient and annihilate two points of resistance in one, although FH could hardly be called a point of resistance.

Turning away from the window and her maudlin thoughts, Xu quickly ran through her mental list of orders once more, and then began to issue those that were the most important. The Garden itself was likely to be the last place the Galbadians managed to take - if the Garden didn't retreat out of their range. But the Garden retreating would be a last-ditch order, since it would mean abandoning anyone who didn't make it back onboard, in essence, whatever rearguard remained to ensure the Galbadians didn't get a secure foothold. Still, as the most strongly defended point, it made sense that all non-combatants were evacuated into Garden.

All SeeDs with explosives training were sent to lay mines and other obstacles in the path of the oncoming forces. It was their single blessing that, even though they couldn't destroy the bridge itself - Hyne alone knew what it was made of, but they'd ~tried~ destroying it and had barely managed to scratch the surface - the limited width meant the Galbadians couldn't use their greater numbers to any advantage. Not unless they brought out their flight suits. Those would give them a definite, albeit tenuous, advantage, especially with Garden lacking properly trained snipers.

Beyond assigning SeeDs to defensive positions - she was hoping they could just keep pounding away and hold the Galbadians back until they broke - there was little else she could do. Little else anyone could do. Until the Galbadians arrived.

***

The sounds of the fighting were distorted by the time they reached the observation deck and Xu, whipped by the wind into a frenzy of incomprehensible screams and shouts. She wasn't sure where it had all gone wrong, ~what~ had gone wrong. Even though she hadn't expected the Galbadians to walk blindly over the mines and traps, she'd hoped, counted on, the thin line of defenders just beyond holding up their attempts to clear the obstacles. She'd hoped to force the fight into a stalemate early on, leaving them able to concede ground if necessary, and minimising the casualties if it became necessary to retreat in the Garden.

But the Galbadians had just marched silently into the mines as if they weren't there. Oh, they had died in the process, died in their ranks - SeeDs knew how to set explosives for maximum effect - but they had just kept coming, marching over the remains of their fallen comrades as though they were just a normal part of the ground. And they had done it all without a sound, without a flinch. The SeeDs, however, stunned into immobility by the Galbadian behaviour, had been sitting ducks. ~They~ had screamed as the Galbadian attack cut them to pieces. There was no cover from the guns that shouldn't have gotten close enough to prove effective against Protect spells. And even then, the Galbadians ~had~ to be using anti-magic bullets to cause so much damage so easily.

Now the first of her main defensive lines were fighting for their lives against the inexorable advance of a seemingly endless army of unfeeling, uncaring Galbadian soldiers. And, despite their valiant efforts, it was not going well. The SeeDs couldn't help but be unnerved by the silence in which the Galbadians fought and died, and they seemed to be screaming and shouting as much to try and force their enemy to respond - make them more human, less intimidating - as they were screaming in their own pain, and shouting their own orders.

She'd called Balamb Garden ~and~ the Galbadia Garden Fleet, hoping against hope that they might be able to send aid, but both were beset by their own troubles. The Fleet had been attacked by the largest shoal of Sawfish they'd ever seen, and it was taking all their firepower to combat them. Balamb Garden was simultaneously attempting to deal with another, remarkably fortuitous - for the Galbadians anyway - swarm of monsters, T-Rexaurs in their case, whilst evacuating Balamb Town. Hyne only knew where Quistis was managing to stuff the civilians, Xu mused, remembering that Balamb was running at full capacity already.

There wasn't even the certainty that the Galbadians would pull back as the light started to fade - whenever that would be with the clouds already making the afternoon dull...

AN: Yes, Rinoa has a hell of a lot of power, and no knight, but she isn't crying blood tears - there is a reason for this, it will be revealed later ;) Uh, the Sawfish are inspired by the Corvette and Sword Dance monsters from FFVII (heh, I had to go look that up o.O). In my mind they're kind of skeletal, finless fish, but their heads and tails are fleshy... Bleh, maybe I'll do a sketch of one someday...


	12. A Battle Won

AN: *wails* the end is nigh!

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Twelve ~ A Battle Won...**

Surprisingly, for all that they were hardest pressed of the three battles, Galbadia Garden's was the only fight that found itself halted by the fading light. The Galbadian soldiers simply melted backwards into the darkness, as silent leaving as they had been throughout the fight. Immediately the SeeD fighters, too experienced to risk a counter-attack in the confusion of twilight, attempted to aid their fallen comrades - those who still lived - further beyond where the fighting had been fiercest. They were driven off time and time again by unseen snipers, not killed, but warned and wounded until they were forced to give in. Even as it became too dark to see without the aid of lights, the snipers still managed to keep their perfect aim, probably using night-sight scopes.

So, angered and sickened by the Galbadian lack of respect for the standard military code that granted both sides the right to tend to their fallen, the SeeDs withdrew for the night. They expected, from the Galbadian's, so far unbroken, silence, that the night would be tense, but quiet. They were wrong. Not more than an hour after twilight had seen the Galbadians fall back, after the SeeDs had been forced to abandon their injured comrades, the screaming began. The worst of it was, the screams were those of their wounded who remained lost in the darkness.

And when the sun rose high enough to bring light to see by the next day, the SeeDs who had suffered through the night, as tortured by the screaming of their friends as their friends were by the torture itself, there were new horrors to see and face.

Eight wooden crosses had been erected during the night, four upon each side of the bridge. A SeeD decorated each cross, all but one still, although barely, alive and conscious. All had been stripped of their uniforms and crucified, heavy metal spikes punched through each wrist and both ankles. Blood had dried on the crosses, staining the wood and giving off a stench fouler than usual. But that wasn't the worst. Before the first rank of Galbadians, held in check by stout leather collars and chain leashes, were the disfigured forms of four other SeeDs. Each, had the SeeDs known what fate had befallen their headmaster, Martine, looked similarly disfigured. Flesh had melted and flowed, pooling into lumps and leaving bone and muscle bare. Hair had fallen out, pushed free by great blisters that had burst, the pus within drying a sickening yellow over the scalp and face. Here and there flesh was just missing, as though torn away by some starving creature. And they were clearly insane, salivating and straining forwards, eager to rend and kill whatever lay in their paths, no matter that those whom they were so eager to destroy had been their friends and comrades only hours before.

More than one SeeD turned away and vomited violently, most only bringing up bile. There were few with stomachs strong enough to eat with the knowledge that it might be a friend screaming for mercy only a few metres away. Fewer still were able to retain anything they ~had~ eaten at the sight of what their wounded had become. But as the Galbadians advanced, the SeeDs stood their ground, knowing, however hard it might be, that they were no longer fighting their friends, but monsters in their guise. Only through death, they knew, would their souls be laid to rest.

Xu watched with a mixed sense of resignation and pride as the relentless stalemate began once more.

***

Squall was aware of Seifer's presence, hovering just close enough to be nearby, but just far enough away not to be intruding. He was also aware of the GF, Hades, watching in a similar way from the dimension the GFs inhabited. Quite what they thought he would do, he wasn't sure. He didn't know himself. Not since his spirit had been roughly pulled back from the grey lands by Seifer. He'd been aware of the connection between his body and spirit growing ever fainter, nearly ready to fade to nothing, leaving him as good as dead. He hadn't cared, too desperate in his futile search for Ellone's soul, too lost in his grief and anger.

He still couldn't understand ~why~. She'd left no more note than one with a cryptic message about the future demanding sacrifice - Squall had a sneaking suspicion that Seifer thought he'd understood it, but in truth the brunette had as little real idea as the blond. And he couldn't forgive himself for the way in which she had manipulated them both. He should have realised that her concern hid another agenda. He should have been paranoid enough by now. But...he had wanted to believe he could trust her, his half-sister. He had wilfully turned a blind eye to the danger signs, the warnings that his sorcerer senses had tried to give him as she lied and turned his attention elsewhere. It was ~his~ fault that her fading presence had gone unnoticed in the mindless spiral of pleasure he and Seifer had been locked in. All ~his~ fault.

So what to do now? He couldn't bring Ellone back, not now, and the vigilance of his knight meant he couldn't join her in death. Squall sighed heavily, brushing a weary hand across his cheeks as though searching for evidence of the tears that hadn't fallen. Esthar was as good a place as any to wait for the end...but... He'd tried waiting already, had thought then that he was strong enough to watch as the world went to hell, and he went along for the ride. But Ellone had changed that, and he had acted, and still lost her. And now... Now he couldn't go back to doing nothing. It wasn't enough, and it was too much at the same time. Too many thoughts would plague him now, refusing to let his mind go blank, dwelling on nothing. All he had to fall back on was the mindless routine of battle...

"Mea culpa. (1)" He whispered. "And whether good fortune and a sure aim go with us or not, we'll go down fighting."

***

Seifer wasn't sure what was going on in Squall's head. Sure, he could tell that the brunette was hurting badly, that he was also furious and tired, and that he had come to a decision, but nothing more than that. If experience told him anything more, it was that Squall was blaming himself for everything, completely ignoring the fact that it had been as much his knight's fault as his own. That and he was most likely ignoring all the other factors that probably pushed Ellone over the edge.

So when Squall finally emerged from the room he'd fled to after his own, semi-intentional attempt at suicide had failed, looking as stoic and emotionless as ever, Seifer was instantly suspicious. Not, however, as suspicious as he would have been had Squall emerged and run sobbing into his arms, and not as suspicious as he would have been had Squall once again blocked the emotional link between them. It seemed that, for the moment at least, Ellone's meddling had resulted in a truce between them.

"Report."

Seifer watched Squall's face carefully as he told his sorcerer what he knew of events in the outside world. The brunette's icy mask was back in place, but it wasn't half as strong as he was trying to make out. A shadow crossed his face as Seifer reported on Kylari's activities in Galbadia, and repeated the essence of messages overheard by Esthar's external listening posts regarding the fighting at sea, on Balamb, and at Fisherman's Horizon. A deep frown appeared when Seifer told him of the strange visit Edea had received in the Esthar medical centre, the ice sorceress giving up her life and her powers with no explanations. The only good news, smoothing away the frown into an expression that could only be called relief, was that Kylari had forced the hands of everyone else except Galbadia. The forces that remained - with the silent exception of the Shumi and Esthar - had all officially declared themselves allies of Garden, SeeD...and the sorcerer.

"But apart from that, nothing much." Seifer couldn't help but finish facetiously. Squall spared him a moment's attention, the brunette clearly deciding who or what, if anyone or anything, Seifer was mocking. Dismissing it with a slight grunt, the sorcerer headed for the door. "Hey! Where we going?" Seifer demanded. Squall stopped, sighed, put a hand on his hip and turned, looking slightly exasperated. The attempt at normality was too forced though, and Seifer could see right through it to the irritable impatience beyond. Wherever Squall was headed, the brunette was in a rush to get there.

"To warn Edea, and then to Fisherman's Horizon. I think Kylari has had a hand in events there." Revenge. That was the light burning in Squall's eyes, a light Seifer recognised all too well. He couldn't help but think back to his conversation with Zell and Quistis, the warning he had given them that now seemed like a premonition. Squall was returning, but he was returning for his own revenge, and they might not like the consequences. Sorceresses hell bent on revenge weren't the subtlest of people, and from the White SeeD's example, neither were sorcerers.

Frowning, Seifer started to ask what Edea was being warned about, but the words hadn't left his mouth before the door slammed open, a panting and red-faced aide in the doorway.

"Sir! President, sir!" Seifer nearly cursed, would've told the aide to get the hell out if he could've found the words. But he couldn't. Squall's face, turned away from the aide, but clear to Seifer, was twisted in fury, and the sudden build-up of power around the brunette reflected that fact. "President Leonhart, sir!" Fury and power vanished with the aide's second shout. Squall's icy mask crumbled, revealing pure and utter confusion. Slowly he turned, staring at the aide with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"What did you say?" His voice was a near whisper, cracking slightly as he tried to decide what to make of the situation.

"P-president Leonhart, s-sir..." The aide stuttered, suddenly afraid. Realisation suddenly dawned on Seifer.

"Of course." He muttered.

He explained quickly to Squall. Slowly the confusion cleared, replaced by determination once more.

"Report." Squall snapped, startling the already worried aide, making the man jump slightly.

"Um, yes sir! Balamb Garden sent an urgent request for aid on behalf of Galbadia Garden, they specifically named you and Seifer Almasy - although we haven't responded to any of their queries about your presence." The aid quickly added the last, recalling with a slight hint of amusement how anxious the communications technicians were to find out just ~how~ Garden had confirmed Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy's presence in Esthar.

Squall tapped his fingers on his thigh for a moment, thoughts racing.

"Assemble the army." He decided, waiting for the aide to fumble a notepad and pen from his pocket before continuing. "Organise a militia from the civilian population, and designate one veteran unit from the army to integrate itself with the militia. The rest of the civilian population is to take essential items only and evacuate to the Vienne mountains - they are to be escorted by the militia and the veteran unit." There was a long pause. "Designate a cadet unit to remain here - they will be under the command of sorceress Edea and her knight. Dismissed." The aide turned and vanished back the way he'd come, footsteps fading quickly into the distance.

"What are you planning Squall?" Seifer murmured, softly enough that the brunette could choose to pretend he hadn't heard. "Edea has to be one of the last sorceresses alive, so Kylari's definitely going to come after her, and yet you're chasing after her shadow, and stripping Esthar of defenders as you do it."

Squall, as Seifer had thought he would, didn't answer. But the blond knew he'd heard.

***

It was like fighting an unending stream of dolls, animated and given their orders, and turned loose on an enemy. The Galbadians just kept coming, wave after wave, undaunted by the failure of their attempts to sap morale, but similarly uninspired by the ground that they were slowly gaining. And they still made no sound. That was the eeriest thing of all. No matter how badly wounded, they kept coming silently forwards until they were physically incapable of moving any further, and then they lay, silent and unresisting, as the ranks behind trampled them to death. It was almost like fighting zombies, but these soldiers moved with the same fluid ease as a living person, bled the same rich red blood as living people. If anything that only made it worse.

Xu had long since left the safety of Galbadia Garden's observation deck for the dangers of the battleground below. Not that she was in the front ranks, but she was with the magic users supporting the physical fighters from behind. A series of well-timed GF strikes cleared a long stretch of the bridge, enabling those at the front to catch their breath, and to take whatever healing potions they required to continue fighting. She might have ordered them to push forwards then, if she hadn't already tried the tactic once before...

Shuddering at the memory, it took Xu a moment to notice the stillness that had crept into the ranks around her. A hushed muttering broke out, and she craned to see beyond the frontline fighters. The Galbadians had stopped. Finally, at long last, they had stopped advancing. But there was no sense of relief, because ~something~, two ~somethings~, were advancing. They looked like Creeps, if the shadowy monsters were given bulk and an ape-like form, but the way they advanced...

Evidently feeling the same way, the SeeDs with long range weapons opened fire just as the magic users cast their spells. The resulting maelstrom of magic and lead was loud and violent, but not loud enough to drown out the piercing screams that rose from its heart. The air cleared, and the two creatures were down, unmoving. Xu felt a fearful shiver climbing her spine. That had been ~way~ too easy. As if feeling her foreboding, one of the creatures twitched and then unfolded upwards once more, followed quickly by its companion, both seemingly unharmed. The SeeDs besides her shrank back slightly as the monsters recovered and began to advance once more. Xu found the front line slowly moving closer as they too began to give way before the new foe.

"Hold the line!" She bellowed, anger lending her the volume she normally struggled for. The SeeDs froze, most not having realised that she was even down with them. "They might not be going down easily, but I'm sure as hell not either!" Deciding that, whether her weapons were suitable or not, she might as well lead from the front and inspire them that way, Xu pushed her way to the fore, calmly turning her backs on the advancing creatures to address her troops once more. "We've fought tougher enemies in the past, and we've always won!" A grin began to stretch across her face as she saw what no one else had yet noticed. "And we'll win this time!" She let the laugh that threatened to become hysterical escape briefly, raising a hand triumphantly in the air, already certain of victory. "Because, we're ~not~ alone!"

It took a moment for realisation to spread through the ranks, and by that time Squall and Seifer were already pushing their way through, dozens of fresh Estharian soldiers close on their heels. Xu turned back to face the creatures as Squall and Seifer drew level with her, finding that even the shadowy creatures seemed daunted by the arrival of reinforcements on their opposition's side. Or maybe it was the arrival of a sorcerer and his knight. Xu could feel the sheer aura of power radiating from Squall, and to a lesser degree from Seifer, and wondered how she'd missed it before.

"Stand down Xu. The SeeDs need a break, and only Squall and I can take these out anyway." Seifer murmured, on her left. Squall, on her right, seemed lost in contemplation of their enemies, but nodded as she glanced at him for confirmation.

"Yes sir!" She snapped off a textbook salute, falling back through the ranks that parted to let her go, and calling the exhausted SeeDs after her. Seifer watched her go, waiting until she was out of earshot before he turned to Squall.

"What now?" He asked, wondering if Squall would actually tell him this time, or if he would be left to guess his way blindly along.

"The Estharian soldiers should hold here while we deal with the Nether Ghouls. They can follow us up or hold their ground as we need once I find out what Kylari's done to the Galbadians." Acutely aware of Squall's impatience, Seifer quickly relayed the orders to the Estharian captain, still finding that he had to jog to catch up with the brunette.

***

The Nether Ghouls had, as Xu had briefly speculated, stopped as they sensed the arrival of many more of the weaker creatures they had been facing already, but mainly they had stopped as they sensed the arrival of more dangerous prey. Much more dangerous prey. However, they were under a compulsion to drive forwards, and so retreat was not an option. They would have to fight, but first, they would attempt to scare away the threat...

***

Seifer resisted the urge to cover his ears with his hands as the Nether Ghouls opened their mouths and screamed. He thought he might go deaf, but as his hearing shut down in automatic self defence, he noticed Squall flinching backwards, shaking his head. Of course, Seifer realised, a sorcerer's senses were much sharper than a normal person's, much stronger than even a knight's senses. Quite how many sub-sonic levels Squall was picking up, he wasn't sure, but Seifer was ready to swear that his bones were starting to vibrate with the sound.

Finally, blessedly, the sound stopped, leaving his ears ringing and deaf to anything quieter than an explosion next to him. Squall didn't seem to be in much better shape, the brunette actually going as far as casting a cure spell on himself. Following his example, Seifer did the same, finding, to his surprise, that the ringing stopped, and he could once again hear the sound of the wind quietly whistling over and under the bridge.

Seifer blinked at the sudden mental query, automatically bringing Hyperion up into an attack stance.

He quipped back, launching himself towards the Nether Ghouls at the same time as Squall.

***

The Nether Ghoul's screams, fortunately for the onlookers, didn't travel well against the wind, and only reached them as a high, reedy screech. But they could imagine the volume from the way it stopped Squall and Seifer in their tracks, and from the faint blue green lights that indicated healing spells. A few of the SeeDs winced in empathy, and then everyone watched in shock and awe as both sorcerer and knight attacked in perfect, graceful unison.

The fight was over in seconds, gunblades infused with the power of a sorcerer easily cutting through flesh that shimmered in and out of existence faster than the eye could follow, but for the few seconds that it took the onlookers were held spellbound, watching as Seifer and Squall moved in attack patterns that truly seemed more of a complex dance than a sequence of fighting moves.

The remains of the shadowy monsters melted into the darkness of the few shadows cast by the rails of the railway, and seeped away to reveal the Galbadian army behind.

A Galbadian army that slowly began to march forwards once more...

***

Kylari had expected resistance. Admittedly, she had expected a typically pathetic mortal resistance, but she hadn't expected to find Esthar deserted. Even if she strained her senses all she could hear was the dry whistle of wind between the buildings, the soft scraping as scraps of paper and other rubbish was blown along the ground. The city, it seemed, had been forewarned and evacuated. A soft shiver ran up her spine, some extra sense warning her that only the sorcerer or her prey could have known she was coming. That only they could have warned the city and organised its evacuation. And if they had organised a retreat, they could well have organised a trap of some kind.

She followed her instincts South, knowing that if the population had been evacuated they would have headed for the mountains to the North. That meant that her quarry would be to the South - the exact opposite direction - in a bid to draw her away from the 'innocent' civilians. Kylari didn't care about them, yet. But she was wary now, especially after the unexpected show of strength from the Galbadian lightning sorceress.

It was that wariness, the fact that she had unconsciously shielded herself, that saved her from the ambush. The Estharian cadets sprang out at her without warning, attacking silently and without reserve, knowing that their best chance for success lay in a swift and deadly surprise attack. But they hadn't counted on her being shielded, and were at a loss as their attacks were easily repelled. Kylari, for her own part, ~had~ been surprised. For some reason, she found that she couldn't sense her attackers in any way except by seeing them, realisation dawning that they were shielded against her senses somehow. Esthar did, of course, have a history of having to deal with sorceresses, and had apparently managed to find some way to shield themselves from being sensed other than visually.

It wasn't until she had, in a panicked retaliation, killed them all, that Kylari truly realised she had been attacked by cadets. At the same time she came to the conclusion that it had to have been the sorcerer who had warned the city and arranged its evacuation. He was, after all, the brother of the former President's named heir. Which meant that he had deliberately left only cadets to defend the city and the sorceress. Kylari could sense Edea now, could sense that the other woman had grown in power. She laughed softly to herself, realising that Edea had to, somehow, have come into possession of the ice sorceries as well as her own water sorcery, but the laugh died quickly as she wondered at the sorcerer's planning.

An entire city evacuated, where previously he had seemed uncaring of civilian casualties, going as far as having Dollet completely obliterated in order to crush the Centra cult - a spineless bunch whom Kylari hadn't really been overly interested in. And the sorceress Edea, whom he had provided with a new knight, left alone, except for a token defence. It was almost as if he was ~letting~ her take the final sorceress...

Maybe he was, she thought, suddenly paranoid. Maybe, all this time where she had spent so much effort to take all the sorceresses and bring their powers together in one vessel, working around the many minor victories he had denied her, she had really been playing into his hands... After all, if ~she~ had her reasons for desiring ultimate power, surely he was the same. And it would explain why he had gone to the aid of Galbadia Garden - she had felt the deaths of her two Nether Ghouls confirm that fact.

Then Edea and Nida stepped into view, and all thought had to be suspended in favour of fighting.

***

Edea knew she should have been carrying the advantage into the fight. She, after all, had both a knight and the powers of two sorceresses. But she was wiser than that. Even weak cards could beat a strong hand played badly, the game of triple triad a good teacher for so many things in life. There was also the matter of the types of sorcery that they were both wielding. Poison sorcery was designed to sap the strength of an opponent, and whilst water was designed to nurture, and ice to protect, neither were proof against the inexorable drain of illness. As for her knight - Nida was already busy fighting a Ruby Dragon that Kylari had summoned...

Wishing she had more confidence of victory than the slim hopes she nurtured deep in her heart, Edea prepared to cast her first spells...

***

"Not quite alive," Squall muttered, glaring at the advancing Galbadian soldiers. "But not quite dead enough..." Seifer frowned.

"So, what? You can do something or you can't?" Squall snorted, still glaring, apparently thinking through his options.

"I can try... Get behind me, and stay there." Glowering, Seifer did as he was told, watching as Squall drew himself up, seeing the slight aura of power shimmering around him as the brunette gathered his powers.

"Mihi parendum est! (2)" Squall called out to the advancing soldiers, his voice strengthened by a judicious application of his power. Seifer thought the front ranks hesitated, only slightly, but it ~was~ a hesitation. "Eritis abiri! (3)" The front ranks ground to a halt, stumbling forwards as the ranks towards the back pushed blindly into them. "Te amove! (4)" Slowly, so slowly, the front ranks began to push backwards, edging away from the brunette. "Te amove!" Squall repeated, using more of his power so that more of the Galbadians heard him, prompting more of them to begin the backwards shuffle.

"Well, that worked." Seifer muttered, watching the chaos of seven front ranks attempting to reverse the tide of an unknown number of ranks behind. Squall nodded.

"For now." He muttered a brief incantation, something that Seifer thought sounded familiar - almost like a GF summons. Then he gestured, and with a massive crack the bridge broke, the far side of the break twisting downwards into the sea, whilst the near side twisted upwards, leaving a sizeable gap between the milling Galbadian army and Fisherman's Horizon. A massive cheer went up from the troops behind them, but Seifer could only wonder what Squall had meant by 'for now'.

***

She had barely enough energy left to fly unburdened, never mind with the dead-weight that was the unconscious Edea. But she couldn't risk remaining in Esthar. Couldn't risk that the sorcerer might return to finish the job Edea had nearly managed - to kill her. She was convinced now that she had been played for a fool, and now she was more determined than ever to take the sorcerer's powers - just so she could spend eternity teaching him how foolish he had been.

***

It took several hours to sort out which troops would be billeted where, especially since Galbadia Garden had managed to take on more than a few refugees from Galbadia. Fortunately the fighting had shaken up the residents of FH, so they mutely accepted it when they found themselves having to share their food and housing with the Galbadian refugees. The Estharian soldiers, who hadn't fought the silent Galbadian soldiers, had no objections to camping on the former battleground - once the SeeD dead had been recovered, and the Galbadian dead pushed into the sea. For their part, the Galbadian SeeDs, who ~had~ fought the silent Galbadian soldiers, were downright enthusiastic about returning to their familiar dorms within the G- Garden - which were incidentally also about as far as they could get from the army still milling around on the other side of the gap in the bridge.

Thus it was just coming up to mid-afternoon, although the clouds made it dark enough for early evening, when Seifer finally got a chance to talk to Squall alone.

The blond found his sorcerer standing near the upturned section of track, watching as the Galbadian soldiers marched forwards, only to be thrown into confusion as they discovered the break in the tracks, the front ranks turning and pushing backwards even as the ranks behind pushed forwards - discovering the break and retreating in a similar manner. It was utter chaos - as though the soldiers couldn't see the break until it was right in front of them...

"Iron tracks." Squall answered before Seifer could voice his confusion, raising his voice so that it reached the blond before the wind could whip it into intelligible noise. "Iron disrupts their senses - they can't sense the gap until they're right on top of it."

"What the hell are they?" Seifer demanded.

"Galbadian soldiers - possessed by Infestants." Seifer was surprised when Squall cursed and spat over the side of the bridge. "The book I got the GFs to hide must have been a decoy - she's been damn busy summoning creatures she shouldn't be able to." Mouth open to ask why Squall hadn't felt her summoning the creatures, Seifer forgot everything as the brunette suddenly fell to his knees...

***

The pain hit him like a knife in the guts, lancing through his body without warning and making him fall to his knees. Instinctively he knew what that pain meant, but his scream was cut off as nausea flooded him and he vomited bile. Seifer was behind him, and Squall reached out to warn him, but the balance was sliding too quickly, and the wall of air as the wind picked up speed hit the blond before the warning. Fortunately Seifer's instincts meant that he threw his weight against the wind, and it failed to blow him from the bridge. Many of the possessed Galbadian soldiers weren't as lucky.

Lightning crackled across the sky, the brief flash of light making the afternoon seem that much darker once it was gone. Squall closed his eyes briefly - the only moment of mourning he would allow himself - and touched a hand to the GF orb in his jacket that was suddenly heavier. Nida and Edea were both dead, Kylari was one step closer to her victory. Soon, soon it would all be over. Soon, soon he could finally rest...

He quietly informed Seifer, not bothering to even attempt to shout across the gale. 

AN: Eeee... Stopping there *grins* I've been going through all the earlier books/chapters and making a list of all the ulterior motive stuff that was at the beginning *grin widens* book four is going to be ~fun~.

(1) Mea culpa, Latin, means 'I am guilty'  
(2) Mihi parendum est, Latin, means 'you must obey me' - against zombies this would have more effect, but as Squall comments, the soldiers aren't quite alive, but they aren't quite dead enough for him to have full power over them.  
(3) Eritis abiri, Latin, should mean something like 'you will be gone' - a first (and probably last o.O) attempt at Latin grammar, feel free to correct me :)  
(4) Te amove, Latin, literally 'begone' - taken directly from a Latin-English dictionary, so again, corrections welcome


	13. In Vain

AN: Woo...last chapter of book three grins

**Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc ~ Battle Lines ~ Chapter Thirteen ~ ...in Vain**

Kylari had left once more, gloating over her victories. The tower was silent again, seated at the eye of the storm where the air was still. Outside, all around, or so Kylari said, the wind was blowing with unearthly force. It had been the sorceress's only complaint. It was too strong for her to fly against, and even if teleporting would keep her enemies one step behind, that was suddenly too close for comfort.

Rinoa knew Kylari had been confident from the start - and apparently with good reason - but all of a sudden, although she was trying to hide it, the other sorceress was acting worried. Something had spooked her, badly, and Rinoa would have gladly given anything to know what.

[She has suddenly started to consider Squall's motives.] The mental voice startled her.

/Who are you?!/ Askylarian's childish personality demanded, panic separating her and Rinoa's personalities.

[Can you stay separate?] Edea demanded.

Rinoa answered hesitantly.  She wailed petulantly, answering her own question as the childish personality merged with her own once more. Edea sighed quietly.

{Adel and Ultemecia...} A mind whispered.

$They left her too open...$ Another mind continued.

}She cannot resist...{ A third spoke up.

\As we have resisted.\ There was a long pause, but no other quiet minds spoke up.

Rinoa, and whomever the childish mind was, had apparently lost interest, humming a nursery rhyme of some sort.

[What is your name?] Edea asked gently. She found herself drawn into a meadow as the combined mind's attention turned towards her. A young girl sat with Rinoa beneath a tall tree, picking daisies to make daisy-chains. Rinoa looked up at the question, her expression slightly bemused.

Edea blinked as a ghostly figure appeared further out in the meadow.

{Inside...} The word was almost a sigh as it reached her, the figure fading, replaced by another. One that Edea recognised.

\Dangerous...\ The Card Queen's voice faded with her image, but the two sorceresses had brought Edea to a conclusion. Somehow she had slipped ~inside~ the combined mind of Rinoa and...a child?

[Yes, I know you Rinoa. I meant, what is your...friend's name?] Edea looked across to the tree, finding the child gone.

/She scares me! Go away!/ The voice came from the branches of the tree and, looking up, Edea could just make out the child's features.

Rinoa called, almost scolding.  There was a rustling of leaves and the child dropped to the ground, curiosity clear in her wide eyes.

/Like Aesa?/ She queried. Shock rooted Edea to the spot. Aesa had been...

***

[She was my half-sister...] Even now Edea was saddened by the memory of the news of Aesa's death. True, they had never been particularly close - she had never known that Aesa too had become a sorceress. They might have been closer, if it hadn't been for their father - and hadn't his behaviour been typical of a soldier - but maybe...maybe she shouldn't have gone searching for him after her mother's death.

She could remember, so clearly, the scene as she strode up to him in the pub and cursed him for leaving, using language a young woman should ~not~ have known. He was drunk, otherwise he might have had the sense to deny her heated accusation, what with his other wife behind the bar and suddenly paying close attention. After all, she hadn't been a sorceress then...but, who was to say her reaction wouldn't have been the same as Askylarian's if she had been...

***

$Danger!$ The harsh crackle of flames in the thought snapped Edea back to awareness. She was partially encased in the tree, with Rinoa and the child - Askylarian before becoming a sorceress - watching and singing a nonsense song.

Without quite knowing how she did it, Edea wrenched herself free of the tree, and out of the combined mind. The other personalities crowded around, curious to know what she had experienced, what she had learned. Edea let a tremor of fear ripple through her mind, and the others fled. Only then did she entertain thoughts of her true fears. If she merged with the mind that had nearly consumed her, there was no guarantee that she would be able to sway it to her purposes, and a very real risk that she would be lost without a trace...

***

Evening was just starting to close in as Balamb Garden came into view of FH. It was clear that they were travelling fast, and even clearer that something was seriously wrong, since they appeared to be making no effort to slow down…

The force of the collision sent vibrations through the town and bridge, and even through Galbadia Garden although, as Zell patiently explained to an irate Mayor Dobe, the collision could have been much worse…

***

Balamb Garden had just evacuated the last of the Balamb townsfolk when the winds increased. Like the Fleet offshore, the Garden found itself torn between powerful, and opposing, forces. The worst of it was, only the pilot could do anything. Everyone else had to cross their fingers and pray - or more sensibly, secure themselves against the Garden's violent tossing and pray.

Fortunately the seaward wind prevailed in its bid to snatch the Garden, and they were hurled headlong ~away~ from the Gaulg mountains. Unfortunately the wind and altitude change were too much for the stabilisers, and the subsequent impact with the sea inflicted severe damage on the Garden's lower - and blessedly vacant - engineering levels.

Three of the stabilisers came back to life as the Garden drifted broadside to the wind, but as damage reports began to come in from the different areas, it also became clear that the Garden was effectively crippled.

The human toll was mercifully low. Three presumed dead in the quad - thrown overboard in the initial chaos - and another killed as those in the Training Centre fled. Miraculously no one else had been killed outright, and, having waived the restrictions on magic use, most of the minor injuries were quickly being healed. The tricky part, Zell suspected, would be in minimising casualties when they, literally, hit Fisherman's Horizon.

He straightened from his examination of the diagnostic panel with a rueful sigh. They were losing what little fuel remained at a rapid rate. That could be fixed - and was, the fuel level gauge slowing it's descent and stopping just under half-way as he watched. But they were still missing one entire manoeuvring thruster, with two others flailing broken hoses and wires, and the fourth making ominous fizzing noises…

***

The sheer bulk of Balamb Garden had given it an impressive momentum, and had anyone but Zell been in charge, Fisherman's Horizon would never have survived. However, having grown up in Balamb, Zell knew a lot about boats - and about using the drag of a hull to slow a ship down.

They had used the one thruster still in working order to turn the damaged side of the Garden into the wind, and then they had waited. Whilst they waited, Zell had helped patch up the two damaged thrusters, and Quistis had organised everyone inside Garden - and items that could be moved and secured - to the damaged side, forcing it lower into the water and increasing the drag, despite the stabilisers attempts to keep the shelter level.

Finally, with FH in sight, they had fired the repaired thrusters only, increasing the drag to the point that everyone could ~feel~ the Garden's speed decreasing…

And then one of the thrusters had failed, as they feared, sending the Garden into the start of a slow spin before the pilot's quick reflexes shut the remaining thruster off.

But, Zell pointed out, they ~had~ hit FH doing only 25 knots(1) instead of 50 or more, albeit with additional spin.

***

Adel had been able to override Kylari's conditioning, so it might, Edea reasoned, be possible for her to keep Rinoa and Askylarian separate. She had seen how shock or surprise separated the two - the question was, how to shock them.

}We can do that…{ The voice surprised Edea for a moment.

[How?] She demanded as she put a name to the voice - Jayn, the lightning sorceress of the Galbadian Nomads, not Rinoa/Askylarian spying on her.

}She doesn't know we are here.{

\We are not strong enough.\ The Card Queen protested.

{She may consume us - as she nearly did you.} Belemae, the holy sorceress/priestess of Odin agreed.

$Then we merge and become strong.$ Kirin, the fire sorceress/hermit from Cactuar Island, was the strongest of the four sorceress fragment personalities in Rinoa's mind. There was little doubt who would rule such a merge, as the others instantly protested.

/Who are you? What are you doing here?/ In the panicked confusion Edea silently apologised to everyone, and then slipped seamlessly into the yawning void that Askylarian had vacated.

Rinoa's mind swirled around her, the raven-haired sorceress realising instantly that Edea was not Askylarian.

[Edea, child. It is matron - Edea.] She used the same tone as she had used on the children at the orphanage when they woke from nightmares, uncertain and confused.

Rinoa's mental groan was inescapable, but with its passing Rinoa's mind seemed to become slightly clearer.

[Rinoa?] There was a pause.

With a shock Edea realised that most, if not all, of the time since she had last seen Rinoa was a blur for the young sorceress.

[You've been possessed.] Edea replied bluntly, sensing Askylarian's attention starting to drift from the other personalities back to Rinoa. [We don't have long.]

It suddenly seemed to dawn on Rinoa that they were in her mind. 

[We don't have ~time~.] Edea snapped. [I need you to let me take control - just for a while.]

Rinoa repeated, dazed.

[Rinoa - if you love Squall, let me take control!] The invocation of Squall's name, plus the intimation that she would be aiding him, did the trick. Rinoa surrendered control without another word.

***

The first thing Edea was aware of was the cool stone that encased her…Rinoa's body. But where Kylari had intended that stone to be a prison, Edea planned to reverse the flow of power and use the tower as a conduit. Slowly she let Rinoa's powers expand, finding the edges of the stone barrier. Then she followed it down into the island's topsoil, into it's caves, into the bedrock and bones, and, finally, into it's heart.

Weapons weren't difficult to create. Not weapons in the conventional sense, rifles, swords and suchlike, but Weapons. Great beasts created by those with sorcerous powers and imbued with legendary strengths. Weapons such as the Ultima Weapon, created during the war between sorceresses and sorcerers, set to guard an immense source of power that evolved into the Eden GF. Or such as the Omega Weapon, created in a future to defend a sorceress against her mortal foes.

The faintly wondering murmur came from Rinoa, but the younger sorceress was not suspicious, merely stating a fact - curious.

[Yes.] Edea agreed, thoughtful. Both defeated by a sorcerer. The last sorcerer.

But placid thoughts were not what created a Weapon. Only memories of blood and conflict would stir its blood. Only memories of sorrow and loss would command its interest. And only thoughts of revenge would ensure its loyalty.

Such memories Edea had aplenty…

*** FLASHBACK START ***

Nida was fighting a Ruby Dragon off to one side, but she could spare no thought for her knight. Her attention was focussed on beating back Kylari's first fierce attacks on her mind.

Edea had expected the first attacks to be feints, had hoped that she would have time to bolster Nida's defences as well as her own. Kylari, however, apparently had no intention of letting her do that. Of course, both sorceresses could sense each other's strength now, and Kylari had the weaker position. Edea, on the other hand, was fighting on two fronts. If Nida went down, so would she…

***

Anyone watching the first few minutes of the fight would have wondered what was going on. A casual observer, unaware that the two women were sorceresses, might have wondered why they did not flee from the Ruby Dragon whilst the young man held it at bay with lightning-quick strikes.

That same observer might have wondered, when the Ruby Dragon finally succumbed, why the younger woman staggered backwards a step, concentration momentarily broken.

Of course, there would have been no more wondering when the Malboro appeared out of nowhere…

***

The fight changed the instant the Ruby Dragon died. Kylari's attention was distracted for vital seconds as she summoned another creature - vital seconds Edea used to regroup her defences and start an offensive spell…

An offensive spell that caught Kylari completely off-guard.

Edea watched, mouth open slightly in surprise, too stunned to push her advantage as the other sorceress frantically countered the ice spell with a fire spell.

As Kylari quickly recovered, and the air between the two sorceresses became a maelstrom of spells and counter-spells, a small part of Edea's mind wondered why Squall had not already defeated the weaker sorceress…

***

The revelation, when it came, hit her with a force akin to one of the rocks that she had been unable to dodge when Kylari had cast Meteor. For a moment her mind betrayed her - the shock and surprise transmitting itself so intensely to Nida that he believed she had been fatally wounded.

In his moment of hesitation - to run to her, or to finish the Malboro - the Malboro struck, poison-coated tentacles wrapping tightly around Nida's body and hauling it within range of the cavernous, tooth-lined maw.

_ The last thought of her knight reached her, and then he and the Malboro were gone, torn apart by some sort of SeeD suicide grenade._

Kylari, Edea thought, numb with the death of her knight, was the most surprised. After all, the end had not been brought about by any of the battered and exhausted sorceress's attacks. But Edea knew now that whatever she did, it did not matter. She had been so conceited, thinking that perhaps her actions could make a difference. That if she defeated Kylari the nightmare would end and the world would be at peace again. That if she withheld her aid the future would be this, and if she aided it would be that.

But, she thought, smiling slyly as Kylari readied a final spell, maybe she could help tip the balance at the crucial point. Squall, after all, had to have a ~plan~.

As Kylari hesitated, suddenly uncertain, Edea knew the other sorceress had caught her thoughts. And as the spell struck, catapulting her into oblivion, Edea laughed…

*** FLASHBACK END ***

...the Centra Weapon stirred...

AN: Thus ends book three *grins* Coming soon, book four - Endgame  
I'm going back to Uni this weekend, and my house doesn't have a phone line (yet), so expect a break of a month or so before I start posting Endgame :)  
  
(1) knots are the nautical speed measurement, basically 25 knots is approximately 29 mph or 46 kph, and 50 knots is approximately 58 mph or 93 kph  
  
RxR people, RxR! 


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